Popular
by Truthtakestime
Summary: SydneyVaughn in Highschool. Will Syd give up her popularity for the guy of her dreams? Charmed characters also included!
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1:  
  
For the first time in two months, Sydney Bristow was walking through the crowded halls of her high school. She hated returning after the holidays, but she was quite looking forward to catching up with all the gossip from the past couple of weeks. She had remained in LA for the duration of the holidays, as her parents were separated, and each had decided to concentrate on work, rather than going away. It was bad enough that her parents were separated, but they were both teachers in her school. Her mother taught English Literature, and her father was a History teacher. Being at school was the only time that Sydney ever got to see her parents under the same roof, so she was thankful in a way, that she had to attend.  
  
Opening her locker, she could hear the people around her sharing stories about the summer holidays. She began thinking back to her own holiday, which was just as exciting as the other vacations. She had spent most of her time hanging out with all her friends and her boyfriend Danny. As they were the most popular people in the school, they were always invited to the various parties that took place over the summer. She laughed to herself, as she remembered all the fun they had. Placing her books in her locker, she heard someone clear their throat behind her.  
  
She turned, and saw the cutest guy she had ever seen in her life. He had brown messy hair, and she couldn't believe how green his eyes were. Seeing him standing there dressed casually in jeans, and a black T-shirt, she felt as though her heart skipped a beat.  
  
"Er...erm, hi. I was wondering if you could show me where room 15 is please?" He asked smiling at her. He spoke with what seemed like an American accent, but there was also a small hint of French in there.  
  
"Yeah sure. I'm going that way now, so I'll show you where it is." She smiled back at him, and as she turned around, a big grin covering her face. She took out various books, and closed the door to her locker.  
  
She walked away from the crowds and down the corridor with this mystery guy walking by her side. "I'm Sydney Bristow by the way." She said flashing another smile at him. "Michael. Michael Vaughn." He couldn't believe how nice she was being to him. He realised that she was only showing him where a room was, but he knew straight away that he liked her a lot.  
  
"So...is this your first day here Michael?" She asked. Some people around them were glancing their way as they walked past, probably wondering what the most popular girl in school was doing with some random guy that nobody knew.  
  
"Yeah, I moved here at the start of the summer with my mom. And as you can probably tell, I have absolutely no idea where I am going." He laughed nervously. "What part of France are you from?" She felt silly asking all these questions, but it was a long walk to the room he was going to, and she didn't feel like walking in silence. "How did you know I was from France?" He asked, a puzzled look spreading across his face. "I'm psychic." She paused laughing. She wished that she had a camera with her, because the look on Michael's face was priceless. "No, your accent gives you away."  
  
He blushed slightly. "Busted. We moved from Paris. It was quite strange leaving as I've lived there all my life. But hopefully living in California should be fun." They stopped outside a tall red door, labelled History. "Here we are." Sydney motioned to the door.  
  
"Thanks. God, you wouldn't believe how nervous I am." His face looked quite worried. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. The teacher is not all the bad." She was trying her best to reassure him.  
  
"Really? Do you know him?" "Yeah, you could say that. He's erm...he's my father." She smiled. She loved the reaction, which she got from people when they found out that Mr. Bristow was her father. They both laughed a little. "You best get inside." She said jokingly. He nodded turning to leave. Sydney began to walk away, when she stopped and turned around. "Michael?" He looked over at her. "If you ever need somebody to show you around town, come and find me, ok?" She couldn't help but smile at him. She knew that Danny would go mental if he found out that she was talking to this guy. He always gets jealous very easily. But she decided that she wouldn't let him stop her from becoming friends with this guy.  
  
"Thanks Syd." He looked at her one last time, before entering his first lesson. She walked away from room 15 feeling just as happy as she did during the summer. No one had ever called her Syd before. But after hearing Michael say it, she decided that she liked the name a lot. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:  
  
Sydney sat in Maths class, staring out of the window. She wasn't exactly concentrating on the lesson, not that she ever did. She was watching some of the younger students playing tennis on the playing field, even though she wasn't paying much attention to them. She was too busy thinking about Michael. There was just something about him, which she really liked, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Maybe it was the fact that he was from France, or maybe it was just because he was the cutest guy she had ever seen. Her thoughts were disrupted by the school bell ringing, indicating that it was time for lunch. She gathered her things and headed out of the classroom. Trying to shake all thoughts of Michael out of her head, she ran to catch up with one of her best friends, Phoebe Halliwell, who was also heading towards the cafeteria.  
  
"Hey Pheebs!" She said, after catching her up.  
  
"Oh, hey Sydney! Are you coming to lunch?" Phoebe asked with a smile. Sydney nodded and they walked arm in arm down the corridor.  
  
"I love your jacket." Sydney said, admiring the new jacket, which Phoebe was wearing.  
  
"Thanks. It was on sale, when I went shopping at the weekend." Phoebe added, clearly proud of her latest purchase. Phoebe spent a lot of her time at the mall, trying on new outfits. That was one of the reasons why Sydney liked her so much, she had such great fashion sense, and she was always fun to shop with, unlike Danny. Whenever Syd had tried to shop with her boyfriend, they ended up getting into a fight over how long she spent in each shop. So she always tried her best to avoid shopping with him.  
  
The two girls entered the cafeteria laughing, as Phoebe was sharing stories about her recent trip to the mall. Sydney spotted their friends sitting at their usual table, so once Phoebe had finished telling her story about how she had tried on a top that was the wrong size, and ended up getting stuck in it, she made her way over to them.  
  
"Hey guys." She smiled at her group of friends, before taking a seat next to Danny. She quickly kissed him on the cheek before turning her attention on her friends.  
  
"What are you guys talking about?" She asked talking a handful of Cole's fries. He looked at her in shock, and tried his best to put on an angry face for her stealing some of his food. But he couldn't manage to keep a straight face, and she ended up laughing at his pathetic attempt.  
  
"We were just discussing Saturday." Piper answered, referring to Leo's birthday party. Brushing her fringe from her face, Piper continued. "You guys are coming together right?" She looked at both Danny and Sydney.  
  
Danny put his arm around Sydney, pulling her towards him for a hug. "Of course we are." Sydney just smiled.  
  
"Shall we go shopping after school?" Phoebe asked, looking at Piper, Francie, Sydney and Paige. The thought of getting to buy another outfit made Phoebe eager for the school day to be over.  
  
"Oh, any excuse for you to buy more clothes." Paige jokingly said to her sister. Paige was always thankful for having sisters. She loved Piper and Phoebe so much, and it was great that they were not only sisters, they were best friends. Phoebe playfully hit her younger sister on the arm.  
  
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/  
  
Vaughn made his way to the cafeteria. He had spent all morning thinking about Sydney. The most beautiful girl he had ever met. He hoped that he would get to know her a little bit better. He realised that a girl as great as Syd must already have a boyfriend, so he would just have to settle at being her friend. The cafeteria was full of pupils sharing stories about their vacation. He bought his lunch, and looked around for Eric Weiss. He had met Weiss, as he preferred to call him, in the history class that morning, and the two of them had hit it off right away. Weiss had a really good sense of humour, and he was always cracking jokes. He had told Vaughn to come and find him in the cafeteria, which was proving to be a harder task than Vaughn had first thought. After about a minute of standing around looking like a lost sheep, Vaughn finally spotted him sitting eating a hamburger.  
  
Walking over, he scanned around looking at the various people who were eating in the room. There was table in the far corner, which appeared to be were all the geeks ate lunch. The other tables were filled with other groups of people. The chess club all sat together, probably because nobody else would talk to them. The students who played in the school band all sat on one table, but they didn't actually fill all the seats around the table, as not many people auditioned to be in the band. That's when he saw her. Sydney. She was sat on a table in the centre of the room with a group her friends. He didn't recognise any of the people who she was sitting with, but that didn't matter to him. All he was bothered about was her. He realised that he would have to walk past her table to get to Weiss. Talking a deep breath he began to walk over to Weiss. As he pasted her table he looked over at her and smiled. To his surprise she smiled back and then she spoke to him.  
  
"Hey Michael!" The group of people who she was sitting with stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him. The girls all smiled at him, amazed at how hot he was. The guys feeling jealous at how their girlfriends were acting, all just looking coldly at him.  
  
"Hey Syd." He replied with an another dazzling smile, and then he carried on making his way over to Eric. Taking a seat opposite his new friend Vaughn tried his hardest to suppress the grin, which was taking over his face.  
  
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Over at Sydney's table  
  
"WOW" Was all that Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Francie could manage to say. Sydney just sat smiling. She was so happy that she had seen him again, and he had remembered who she was. Finally Francie asked the question that they had all been wondering.  
  
"Who was that?" She asked her eyes wide in anticipation.  
  
"His name is Michael. He just moved here from Paris." Sydney's smile widened as she spoke about him. Danny looked at Cole and Leo and he could see that they were as annoyed by this as he was.  
  
"Paris? Seriously?" Sydney nodded to Paige in answer to her question.  
  
"See something you like sis?" Piper asked jokingly.  
  
"Are you kidding me? He's absolutely gorgeous, and he's from Paris, the city of romance. What could be hotter than that." The girls all laughed at how Paige was talking. Except for Sydney. She didn't like the thought of somebody else fancying Michael. Even though she knew that she couldn't have him, she didn't want someone else to have him, even if that someone turned out to be one of her best friends. "Where did you find him anyways Sydney?"  
  
"He asked me directions to the history room this morning, and we got talking." She glanced over at him as she spoke, and she was shocked to see that he was looking at her. Both feeling slightly embarrassed at being caught looking at each other, the quickly looked away.  
  
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ Over at Vaughn's table.  
  
"Ok, just who are you looking at?" Weiss asked, turning to look in the direction where Vaughn had been looking. It then became clear to him. Every guy in the school had had a crush on Sydney Bristow at one time or the other, himself included.  
  
"That's Sydney Bristow. She's like the most popular girl here at Kennedy High..." Weiss started to tell him who she was, but Vaughn interrupted him.  
  
"I know who she is. We spoke this morning." Vaughn looked at Weiss, and watched him nearly choke on a bite of his hamburger.  
  
"What?!? Let me get this straight, you spoke to Sydney Bristow?"  
  
"Yeah. Why what's the big deal?" Vaughn took a sip of his soda, as he waited for Eric to explain what the problem was.  
  
"Girls like that don't talk to guys like us. It's just the way it goes."  
  
"Who are those people she's sitting with." He glanced over at the group of people who were sitting with her.  
  
"Right, you know how in every high school, there are that small selective group of people who are above everybody else because they are just so cool." Vaughn nodded. "Well the people who she's sitting with, that's them. He turned to look at them. The girl with the long brown hair, that's Piper Halliwell, and the guy she's sitting next to is Leo Wyatt, and they've been dating for about 2 years. Phoebe Halliwell is sitting opposite Piper, and her boyfriend Cole Turner is the one with his arm around her. Francie Calfo and Will Tippin are the two sitting at the end of the table. Paige Matthews is Phoebe and Piper half sister, and she is the one with red hair. And then we have Sydney Bristow and her boyfriend Danny Hecht..."  
  
"She has a boyfriend?" Although he had already guessed that she was seeing someone, he didn't like to hear it.  
  
"Yeah, everybody thinks that they will be named this year's prom king and queen. He's the head of the football team, and Will, Leo and Cole are all on the team. And then Sydney and the girls are Kennedy High's cheerleaders." Although Weiss was talking to him, Vaughn wasn't listening. He was too busy looking at Sydney and wishing that she were single. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
After lunch hour had ended, Sydney and Danny made their way to the chemistry room, for what was gonna be another boring science lesson. Danny kissed his girlfriend goodbye as he took his seat on the far side of the room, and she took hers on the other. They had got there quite early, as the room was still filling with reluctant students who were wishing that they were somewhere else. Sydney noticed Piper and Phoebe walk in, closely followed by Francie and Paige. The girls all smiled at each other, and sat down at the desk infront of Syd. There was no one sitting next to Sydney, as her lab partner had moved to Spain during the summer, so she just sat there quietly wishing for the next hour to pass quickly.  
  
Vaughn and Weiss walked slowly into the room, amazed to find that the teacher had not yet showed up. None of the other students seemed bothered by this, as it gave them even more time to catch up on gossip from their vacations. "I'm guessing that we should find ourselves a seat!" Weiss said shrugging his shoulder. He looked around the room to see that there were not many seats available, so finding a seat could be more difficult that he thought. As they walked down the centre of the room, various heads turned to look at Michael, many of the girls wondering who the new hotty was, and many of the guys not liking the attention that their girlfriends were paying to the new kid.  
  
Michael stopped as he saw Sydney again. He hadn't known that they would be in the same class, but suddenly he had a feeling that the chemistry lesson wouldn't be all that boring. "Hey Syd!" He said smiling at her. She was taking by surprise, as she hadn't seen him walk in. "Oh, hey Michael." She replied, smiling just as much as he was. "Is this seat taken?" He asked looking down at the empty seat beside her.  
  
"No, it's not." She said removing her bags, so that he could sit down. "Thanks." He sat down, not believing that he was actually sitting next to the girl that he had been thinking about all day.  
  
"Hey man, I'm gonna go and find another seat..." Eric said turning to leave.  
  
"No, wait." He turned to face Sydney, shocked that she was even talking to him. "Why don't you come and sit with us?" Sydney hadn't spoken to Eric much, but she was sure that he was a nice guy.  
  
"It's ok, I'll go and sit somewhere else." He was unsure how to act around her, after all she was the most popular girl in the school.  
  
"Eric, I'm not taking no for an answer. No sit!" She said laughing. She knows my name...She knows MY name!!! These thoughts were running through Weiss's mind as he picked up a stool and sat at the end of the row next to Vaughn. Sydney smiled at them both, relieved that she would no longer have to sit on her own, and thankfully that she could now get to know Michael a little better.  
  
"I'm warning you now, that this lesson is such a drag." She told them, trying her best to ignore the looks that she was getting from the other girls in the room, especially Paige. "You don't like chemistry?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm all for chemistry...just not the subject!" She smiled flirtatiously at him. Realising what she was doing, she looked down at the table, feeling her cheeks turn red. I cannot believe that I just said that! What is up with me? Oh, I'm all for chemistry...just not the subject! Why did I say that?!? Vaughn could tell that she was embarrassed by her own remark, so he decided not to comment. But secretly inside, he was ecstatic by her reply; he got the feeling that she was flirting with him. Weiss sat silently at the end of the table. He had heard what she just said, and he knew that Vaughn liked her, and he was getting the impression that this wasn't a one way thing.  
  
"So what's the teacher like?" Vaughn asked, trying to quickly change the subject.  
  
"Sloane? He can be quite strict at times, but he's a good teacher." Eric answered. Sydney put her embarrassment aside and decided to join in the conversation. "Yeah he can sometimes be a nice person I suppose, but I guess I'm a bit biased as I've known him since I was little."  
  
"Oh yeah, that's right. Isn't he like friends with your dad?" It fascinated Weiss just how much he knew about Sydney Bristow, even though she probably didn't even know his last name.  
  
"Yeah, he's been a family friend for years. Him and his wife Emily always used to come over and have dinner with my parents." She couldn't believe that she was telling them this. She hardly ever talked about her family to anyone, not even Danny.  
  
The room fell silent as Arvin Sloane entered the room. He was quite a small man, with grey hair and a grey beard, which covered most of the bottom half of his face. He was dressed as always in a black suit, accompanied with a blue tie. "Class, I'm sorry that I'm late but I have to leave again to take care of some business. I'll be at least 15 minutes. So I'm sure that you guys can find something quiet to do whilst I'm gone." He picked up some files from the middle drawer of his desk, and then left the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.  
  
"See, he's not that bad." Joked Sydney. Francie, who was sitting at the desk infront of Syd with Paige, turned around. "Hey Sydney, come and talk to us." She said as Piper and Phoebe got up to sit next to their sister.  
  
"I'm fine here thanks." She replied. Her friends meant a lot to her, but for now she was happy to sit and get to know her two new friends. "Oh..." Francie was clearly taken back by Syd's refusal. "Okay." She turned back around mumbling something, which Sydney couldn't hear. Rolling her eyes, Sydney continued the conversation, which she was having with Michael and Eric.  
  
"So did you guys just meet today?" She asked, twisting a lose strand of hair around her finger.  
  
"Yeah, Vaughn and I met this morning in the history class." Weiss said patting his friend on the back.  
  
"Oh right. So everybody calls you Vaughn then?" She liked the sound of 'Vaughn.' It sounded so French...so hot.  
  
"Well no not really. Weiss is the first person to call me it actually."  
  
"I like it, it's cute!" She said a smile spreading her face. Vaughn couldn't hide the grin that her comment had created. He ran his hand through his hair, trying his best to cover how happy Syd calling his name cute, had made him. Sydney had noticed the effect that her remark had on him, and she tried her best not to laugh. "So I take it that you like being called Weiss?" She added.  
  
"I don't mind really, you can call me whatever you like. But are you gonna tell me that my name's cute too, so that I can grin as much as he his!" He pointed at Vaughn, who wasn't exactly amused by his comment. Vaughn glared at him, shocked at what he had just said. "Hey I have a name for you...it begins with a J, and ends in ass!" Weiss playfully hit him on the arm. "Now we all no that I could never pull of the name Jackass." Weiss laughed at his friend's bad attempt at a joke.  
  
"Now, now boys play nicely." She laughed at the pair of them. She liked Weiss, he was funny and he had a great personality. And then there was Vaughn. There was no doubt about it she definitely liked him.  
  
"So how are you liking California so far Vaughn?" He liked the way she said his last name. She made it sound so sexy.  
  
"It's been great so far. The people are really friendly..." He looked at her as he said that, not quite sure if he meant people in general, or just her. "And the neighbourhood which were moved to is really nice." He sensed that somebody was looking at him, so he turned to see Danny and a couple of other guys staring at him. Choosing to ignore their looks, he turned back around and focused on Sydney. God she's beautiful.  
  
"Where abouts did you move to?" Weiss asked, nibbling on the edge of his pen.  
  
"Erm...just off Valley Boulevard." He replied.  
  
"OMG! That's like two blocks away from where I live." Said Sydney in total amazement. "Hey, are you walking home after school?" Vaughn nodded. She couldn't believe what she was doing again. "Do you wanna walk home together? It'll give me a chance to get to know you a little better?"  
  
"I would love to Syd." He replied, this time not even bothering to hide his smile. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
The rest of the day had gone quite quickly. After the chemistry lesson had finished, Sydney told Vaughn that she would meet him at the front of the school, at the end of the day. Then she had walked to her next lesson with Francie and he had left with Weiss. He was glad that they were going to walk home together, because he was new to the area so he wasn't entirely sure where he was going. Also he was glad of the extra time which he would get to spend with Syd. As soon as the school bell rang, Vaughn said goodbye to Weiss and then headed to his locker. He deposited the books, which he wouldn't need for his homework, and made his way to the front of the school to meet Sydney.  
  
Sydney was sitting on the wall at the front of the school waiting for Vaughn to come out. The sky was clear with the odd white fluffy cloud floating by. She was sitting there patiently waiting, when somebody came behind her and covered her eyes. Taken by surprise, she gasped.  
  
"Guess who?" The mystery person said. Once they had spoken, she could tell who it was.  
  
"Erm...Danny?" She guessed, even though she already knew the answer. Removing his hands from her face, he sat down on the wall next to her. "Hey beautiful." He kissed her on the lips.  
  
"What are you doing here? I thought you had football practise?" She asked.  
  
"I have. I'm just waiting for Cole and Leo. What about you? Why are you sitting out here?" He took hold of her hand, entwining their fingers together while he waited for his answer.  
  
"I'm waiting for someone too!" She said. She knew that she was doing nothing wrong by waiting for Michael, so she didn't see any point in hiding it from him. Looking over Danny's shoulder, she saw the person who she was waiting for. "Oh, here he comes!" She stood up, removing her hand form Danny's and picked up her bag.  
  
"He's a he?" Danny asked, turning around to see the new kid walking towards them. Sydney heard his comment, but she chose to ignore it.  
  
"Hey Vaughn." She smiled at him, as he walked over to them. "Hey." He replied, smiling at her, and then looking at Danny. Danny remained silent just staring at Michael. She could tell the Vaughn was uncomfortable by the looks, which he was receiving from Danny, so she decided that it was time that they left. "Are you ready to go?" She asked Vaughn." "Sure." He nodded at her.  
  
"We're walking home together, so I'll see you later..."She quickly kissed him on the cheek. "Have fun at practise." She smiled at him, and then her and Michael walked away, leaving Danny staring jealously at them. Once they were out of his hearing range, Syd began talking.  
  
"I'm sorry for Danny acting the way he does. I guess he's just a bit territorial." She shrugged, hoping that he would accept her apology. She hated the way Danny was around Vaughn, it wasn't fair on him.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'd be like that if you were my girlfriend." He smiled. Sydney wasn't sure if he meant the last part of his sentence or if he was just saying it to make her feel better. But she sure liked the way it sounded. If you were my girlfriend. She blushed slightly, smiling.  
  
"So how was you first day at Kennedy High?" Syd asked. It amazed her how comfortable she felt just walking along with him.  
  
"It was great. I think I'm really gonna like it here."  
  
"That's good." They walked in silence for a couple of minutes.  
  
"Do you normally walk home alone?" He asked. He began wondering whether their walking home together would be a frequent thing, or if it was just this one time.  
  
"Oh no. I usually walk with Piper, Phoebe and Paige. They only leave about a block away. But I'm sure that they're managing to walk home without me tonight." She laughed before stopping in the middle of the street. "Hey, do you have plans this Saturday?"  
  
He stopped and stood facing her. "No I don't." A huge smile spread across her face. "Great." She carried on walking, with Vaughn running to keep up. "Wait...are you not gonna tell me why?" he asked jokingly. Sydney thought for a minute, "No." She laughed at the look on his face. He's so cute when he's confused. His forehead wrinkled, as he didn't quite understand. Finally his look of confusion got too much for her. "You'll find out soon." She said winking at him. "Okay then." He couldn't believe that he might actually have plans for Saturday night with Sydney Bristow. I wonder what Eric will think of this.  
  
They finally arrived at Sydney's street. "Well...I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked admiring just how hot he was. "You sure will." "Bye Vaughn." She did something, which managed to surprise both of them. She lent forward and gave him a hug, which he seemed gratefully to receive. They broke apart and Sydney began to walk down the street towards her house. "Bye Syd!" He called after her. Michael stood for a minute just watching her, and then he started walking home to his new house.  
  
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/  
  
"Hey mom, I'm home." Sydney called as she entered the house. Since her parents had split, she lived most of the time at her mom's house, with the occasional weekend and weeknight at her father's. Placing her bag down on the floor, she walked into the kitchen to find her mom cooking dinner.  
  
"Hey sweetheart." She kissed her daughter on the forehead.  
  
"Hmmm. Dinner smells lovely." Sydney said as the aroma of her mother's cooking filled the room. "Thanks. How was school?"  
  
"It was ok. I met someone today." Her mother stopped what she was doing and turned to face her daughter, giving her all her attention. "His name is Michael Vaughn, he just moved her from Paris." She said. Irina could tell that her daughter really liked this guy by the way her eyes lit up as she said his name. "So when do I get to meet this guy?" Irina asked excitedly.  
  
"Oh, erm...I don't know. He's probably in one of your classes, but if not maybe one day after school?" Sydney shrugged. She liked the thought of bringing Vaughn back over to her house, but she knew that Danny wouldn't like it.  
  
"That sounds great dear." Sydney picked up the phone. "I've just gotta make a call mom." She walked up to her room as she was dialling the numbers.  
  
Hello? Hey Leo! Listen I have a really big favour that I need to ask you. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
Sure, what is it? She paused, thinking of the best way to ask him. Do you know you party on Saturday, well I was wondering if I could maybe bring a guest? She waited eagerly, hoping that she would get the answer that she wanted. Yeah, I don't see why not. Ok, thank you so much... She got distracted by her Irina entering the room, mouthing to her that dinner was ready. Leo, I'm sorry I gotta go, my dinner's ready. I'll see you tomorrow and thanks again for this. Hanging up the phone she jumped up and headed down stairs for her dinner, she couldn't wait for tomorrow to tell Vaughn about her plan.  
  
//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\ //\\//\\//  
  
Vaughn found it hard to sleep that night. He kept thinking about Sydney. He thought that she was amazing, he had never met anyone quite like her before. He kept thinking about how lucky he was to have met her, even though they could only be friends as long as Danny was in the picture. And judging by the way that Weiss had spoke about them, he would be in the picture for a long time. Sighing, Vaughn rolled over to look at his alarm clock, 03:28. Groaning at the fact that he hadn't had any sleep yet, he pulled the covers over his head, trying to clear his mind of all his thoughts. It amazed him how he had only known Sydney for a day, and already she was constantly on his mind.  
  
//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\ //\\//\\//  
  
Sydney woke early than usual the following morning. The sun was shining in through the curtains, filling the whole room with daylight. Stretching she rolled out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. The smell of pancakes lingered in the air, an obvious sign that her mom was up making breakfast. She washed her face and combed back her hair into a loose pony, with some strands falling loose onto her face. She decided that she would catch a ride with her mother today, as she had forgotten to arrange to meet Paige and her sisters, and she was unsure whether or not Michael would be walking to school. After dressing in a white summer skirt and red top, she walked down the stairs to find Irina putting various books into her bag.  
  
"Morning sweetheart." She called out, as she noticed Sydney entering the kitchen.  
  
"Morning mom." She replied taking the orange juice out of the fridge and pouring a decent amount into a glass.  
  
"I made you some pancakes." She motioned to the table, smiling lovingly at her daughter. "Do you want a ride to school?" She asked. In between bites of her pancakes, Sydney answered, "Yes please."  
  
Twenty minutes later the two Bristows left the house and headed to Kennedy High. They sat in silence until Irina finally spoke. "You father phoned last night after you had gone to bed. He wants you to have dinner with him and his new girlfriend tonight after school." She kept her focus on the road, not looking at Sydney's shocked reaction. "Wait, Dad had a girlfriend now?" Ever since her parents had split neither one of them had dated anybodyelse.  
  
"Yeah, she's a psychiatrist or something. Her name's something Barnett. I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders. "So you gonna go?" She asked, momentarily taking her eyes off the road.  
  
"I have cheerleading practise tonight." Sydney protested. She didn't mind spending time with her father, but she didn't want to meet him new 'friend.'  
  
"You can go after practise. It probably won't be till about 7, so you'll be able to make it in time." Irina pulled up in front of the school. She couldn't believe that she was trying to encourage her daughter to go to this meal. She knew that her and Jack had agreed that they would never try and make Sydney choose between them, but she didn't like the idea of him having a new girlfriend. And she was quite sure that Sydney picked up on her not liking it. Before she got out of the car, Sydney answered her mother's question.  
  
"Okay, I'll be there." She forced a smile to spread across her face, and then left the car and entered the school building.  
  
//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\ //\\//\\//  
  
Later that day  
  
Michael was quite disappointed that he hadn't seen Syd all day. He had got the bus to school that morning and so far he had had no lessons with her. Right now, he was sat in the cafeteria, listening to Weiss' story about how he thinks that Alan, his dog, is putting on weight.  
  
"I'm telling you man, he eats way too much!" Stated Eric taking another bite of his sandwich.  
  
"Really? I wonder who he gets that off?" Vaughn said sarcastically, earning a glare for his friend. Taking a sip of his soda, he was surprised to feel someone pat him on the back. Turning to his side, he was greeted by Sydney taking a seat next to him. "Hey guys." She said happily. Weiss just nodded as he was too busy eating, but Vaughn smiled at her and said hey back to her.  
  
"So listen, you know I asked you about if you had plans for Saturday?" Vaughn nodded, so she continued. "Well, a friend of mine, Leo it's his birthday and he's having a huge party over at his house. And I was kinda hoping that you would come!" She said excitedly. Weiss looked up from his sandwich, shocked at her invitation. Michael had only been there for one day, and already he was getting invited to the parties where all the popular people went.  
  
Michael looked at her, sitting beside him in anticipation. He smiled at her, as he considered her request. She wants me to go to a party with her? He asked himself. He released that he was keeping her waiting for an answer, so he cleared his throat and answered her. "I would love to, Syd. Thanks." "Great!" Her smile grew bigger. She turned to Weiss who had continued to eat his sandwich. "Do you want to come along too Weiss?" He looked at Vaughn and then back to Syd. "I would like to, but I can't. I have to babysit." The expression on his face showed that he wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea.  
  
"Who is it? Please don't say its Alan." Vaughn joked. Weiss glared momentarily at Vaughn. "NO! My aunt is in town, so her and my mum are going for drinks, so I'm stuck watching my two cousins. And just so where clear Vaughn, Alan will be there!" Eric added dramatically. Sydney laughed, not quite understanding what they were talking about. "Ok you guys, what did I miss?"  
  
Danny sat on the other side of the cafeteria, watching his girlfriend talking to Michael Vaughn, and some other guy, who he wasn't quite sure his name. He didn't understand what Sydney found so fascinating about this Michael. He seemed like just another ordinary guy to him. "What are you staring at, Danny?" Phoebe asked. She had been sitting opposite him, with Cole beside her, his arm around her waist.  
  
Tearing his eyes away from Sydney, he answered her. "What does she see in him? Ever since he got here, all she has done is follow him around like a lovesick puppy..." He looked around at each of his friend's searching for an answer.  
  
"He's been here for one day Danny. Cut the guy some slack." Came Piper's voice from down the end of the table. She had always been the voice of reason, ever since she became the older sister. Her older sister Prue had moved away with their father a couple of years ago when their parents split but she still came to visit every now and then.  
  
Danny looked blankly at her. He knew that she would take Syd's side, after all they had been best friends since they were like five. "Yeah, the guys new here, she's just helping him to settle in." Francie added.  
  
"But why does she have to help him? You can tell by the way that he looks at her, that he likes her..." Danny glanced back over at to see the three of them laughing.  
  
"Are you jealous?" Cole asked. The rest of the group chuckled slightly at the look of horror that filled Danny's face at the thought of people thinking he was jealous of Vaughn.  
  
"No. As if I would be jealous of him." He replied coldly.  
  
"That's good." Leo said. "Cause if you don't have a problem with him, then you should be able to control yourself on Saturday and be nice to him."  
  
"Saturday?" Danny asked, clearly puzzled. Then it occurred to him what Leo was on about. "He's coming to your party?" He spat. Leo nodded. "Why is he coming?"  
  
"Sydney phoned me last night, and asked if it was ok if she bought an extra guest. I couldn't exactly say no to her. And besides it not like you have a problem with him!" Leo shrugged, knowing fairly well that Danny did have a problem. And it was sat on the other side of the room with Sydney. Sydney stood up to leave. She thought that she had best go and spend some of her lunch hour with her other friends. "I best get going." She said, gathering her things.  
  
"Okay." They both said. "Are you walking home again tonight Syd?" Vaughn asked, hoping for another chance to spend more time with her.  
  
"I can't tonight Vaughn, I've got cheerleading practise and then I have to have lunch with my father and his new girlfriend." She sighed. "I guess I'll see you both later. Bye." She smiled and then made her way across the cafeteria.  
  
She finally took a seat next to Paige, as she said hello to all her friends. They all replied except for Danny, who sat looking down at the table. Noticing his reaction, Syd looked confusingly at Piper, who just shrugged her shoulders and mouthed: "Don't ask." Taking the hint, Sydney turned to Phoebe. "Pheebs, I'm sorry that I didn't go shopping last night." She felt quite guilty for blowing off her friends. "It's ok hun, there wasn't really much there anyways." She replied kindly. Finally Danny spoke.  
  
"Did you have fun last night anyway Sydney?" He asked sarcastically. She looked at him, not liking the way he asked her the question. "I did actually." Smiling coldly at him. "Thanks for asking." She added speaking as sarcastically as he had.  
  
"Well I guess you'll have even more fun on Saturday, when your new boyfriend comes to the party!" He glared at her, felling his face redden from anger.  
  
"What is your problem? Yeah, Vaughn will be at the party but so will a bunch of other people." People in the cafeteria began to look over as her voice got louder. Vaughn heard his name being mentioned, and he looked worryingly over.  
  
"Oh, will he be bringing a date? Or will he spend all night lusting after mine?" The room went totally silent, everybody wanting to know what was going on. Everyone sitting at Sydney's table looked at each other uncomfortably, suddenly aware that all eyes were on them, but for all the wrong reasons. Vaughn couldn't believe that he was talking to her in that way. He was going to walk right up there and stop him, but Weiss sensed this, and grabbed hold of his arm. "Don't man. This is her fight." Vaughn looked at him for a minute and then gave in. After all Sydney was giving as good as she got.  
  
"Why don't you just grow up Danny?" She asked angrily. "Oh, I'm sorry I forgot. You can't can you cause deep down your just an insecure little boy. I may be dating you Danny, but that doesn't make me your property. You can't order me around, telling me who I can and can't be friends with. That's not your call, it never has been, and trust me it never will. And I'll tell you another thing, you carry on acting like this, and you won't just be dateless on Saturday." She looked around at the people watching them. And then at Michael. She could tell that he was feeling guilty, like it was somehow his fault. But it wasn't, it was Danny's for being such a jerk.  
  
"I've had enough of this crap. I'm outta here." He took one last look at Sydney, and then he walked away from them, through the crowds of students who had been looking for gossip. Sydney looked at her friends, each one of them displaying faces of pure concern. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her legs were shaking slightly. But it felt good to finally be able to say how she felt to Danny. Even if she did have a crowd. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Later that night  
  
After cheerleading practise Sydney headed over to her father's house, the events of that day running through her mind. She couldn't believe how Danny was acting. She had seen Vaughn at the end of lunchtime, she would have stopped to talk to him, but Francie and co dragged her away. He looked generally concerned for her, his forehead wrinkling indicating that he was worrying. She had to admit that he looked cute when he was worried, but she knew that he had no right to be, as it wasn't her fault or his. It was Danny's.  
  
She finally arrived outside her dad's house, trying to clear all thoughts about Danny and Vaughn from her mind. There was an extra car in the driveway, which she assumed belonged to his date. Sighing she walked up the path and put her key in the door. She could hear music coming from the living room, and voices talking and laughing. She walked in to greet her father, hoping that the evening would soon be over.  
  
"Hi Daddy!" She hugged her father. After breaking apart, Jack Bristow looked proudly at his daughter and then at his guest. "I would like you to meet Anna Barnett. Anna this is my daughter Sydney." Anna stood up offering out her hand for Sydney to shake. Picking up on this gesture Sydney politely shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you." Syd said, not meaning a word of it.  
  
"Likewise. Your father's told me a lot about you Sydney." Anna replied smiling. Sydney looked at her in shock. "Really?" Anna nodded. "That's funny. He's never mentioned a word about you!" Sydney knew that her father was glaring at her right now. She didn't have to look at him to know what his face was like. She had seen the 'Jack Bristow glare' a thousand times before, and she knew that he would yell at her later for being rude to his guest.  
  
Jack cleared his throat, and quickly changed the subject. "Dinner's ready." He led Anna to the dining room leaving Sydney to follow silently behind. Jack had cooked pasta for them, he was never much of a cook, that had always been her mother's job.  
  
"This smells great Jack!" Anna exclaimed from the other side of the table. Sydney couldn't help but notice how much this woman was sucking up to her father. And she didn't like it. They began eating, and sharing pointless chitchat, most of it being about Anna.  
  
They eventually finished dinner, which relieved Sydney. Just as her father began to clear away the dishes, Sydney decided to make her move. "Er...Dad, I gotta go. Mom's expecting me back soon, and I have some homework to do." She lied.  
  
"Okay honey. Be careful on the way home. Ok?" Sydney nodded as she kissed her father on the cheek.  
  
"Bye Anna. It was nice meeting you." She lied again. God, I'm making a habit of lying. She thought to herself. Anna smiled at her. "You too Sydney. See you again soon!"  
  
Over my dead body you will. Sydney forced a smile, and then made her way home.  
  
Sydney got home fifteen minutes later. Her mother was curled up in a chair, reading some Russian novel. Syd always forgot about her mother being Russian, you couldn't tell just by looking at her. But there always was a slight trace of her accent as she spoke. "Sydney! Your back." Irina put down her book, and greeted her daughter. "How was dinner?" She asked.  
  
"It went ok I guess. But don't worry mom, she's not a patch on you." Sydney winked at her mother and they both started laughing.  
  
"Oh, before I forget, Danny phoned earlier. I told him that you where at your father's and he wants you to call him back."  
  
"It's late. I'll just speak to him tomorrow." Sydney tried her best to put off talking to him. "I'm off to bed. Good night mom!"  
  
"Night sweetie!" Irina smiled lovingly at her daughter, and then picked up her book.  
  
The next day  
  
Sydney's first lesson that day was English Lit, with her mother as the teacher. She strolled into the room with Francie, and immediately noticed Danny sitting next to Leo. She refused to make eye contact with him, choosing instead to keep her sight focused infront of her. She took her seat next to Piper and waited for the lesson to begin. Weiss was sitting behind her, with an empty seat next to him, probably reserved for Vaughn. She was quite please about this as it would give her a chance to talk to him.  
  
"So how was dinner with your dad last night?" Piper asked tapping her pencil on the desk.  
  
"I've had better. I didn't really like his date, and I'm sensing by the way I acted around her that she kinda picked up on that." Sydney laughed. Just then Vaughn walked in dressed casually in jeans and a black T-shirt. He walked past her and smiled. "Hey Michael!"  
  
"Hi Syd." He replied. Piper and looked at her friend and she could tell that she has a crush on this guy. And judging by the smile on Michael's face, he felt the same way.  
  
Irina entered the room, carrying various books and folders. The class quickly hushed waiting for her to begin the lesson. Irina walked around the room handing out versions of Romeo and Juliet, which gained a few moans from a couple of members of the class. "Right class as you may have guessed, we are going to read William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Now before we begin, can anybody briefly share with the class the main themes of this play?" She asked as she looked around the class. "You." She pointed to Michael. "What's your name?"  
  
"Michael Vaughn." He replied. Irina's face froze. So this is the guy that Sydney told me about. She had been silent for a couple of minutes, causing a few of the students to look up to see what was wrong. Irina looked at Vaughn then at Sydney, who was glaring at her mother and shaking her head. "It's nice to meet you Michael. Please continue." She smiled to herself, as she could see why her daughter liked him so much. He seemed perfect for Sydney.  
  
"It's about love and hate, you know being in love with someone that you shouldn't be. Romeo and Juliet fall in love, even though their families hate each other. Their death then buries the feud." Sydney listened intently to what Vaughn was saying. She knew that she wasn't in love with him, and that he didn't love her. But it still felt like somehow he was speaking to her, when really he was just answering her mother's question.  
  
"Great answer Michael. Now let us read on." She opened her book at Act1 Scene 1 and began to read. Sydney was just drifting off into a dream when she felt something hit her arm. She looked down at the floor and found a piece of folded paper. Picking it up, she opened it to reveal a note:  
  
Hey Syd, your mom seems nice!  
  
Sydney smiled as she recognized the writing scribbled on the paper. She picked up her pen and wrote back.  
  
Yeah, she is. I'm sorry about what happened yesterday with Danny...he can be a jerk sometimes.  
  
She folded the paper and passed it back behind her. She noticed that Piper was watching her through the corner of her eye, an amused smile spread across her face. "What?" Sydney whispered, but Piper remained silent and just smiled.  
  
Vaughn quickly passed back the note. Don't worry about Syd, it's not your fault that he doesn't like me. Is everything ok between you two now? He hoped that she would give him the answer that he wanted, but he doubted that it would happen.  
  
Honestly, I don't know. We haven't talked at all since yesterday, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk to him yet. She turned to pass the note back, and glanced over at Danny. He was busy doodling on the desk. Looking like he was about to fall asleep.  
  
Well if you need a friend, you know I'm here for you! He wanted to be more than just her friend, but for now he would just have to settle for being just that.  
  
Thanks Vaughn! So are you still gonna show up at the party? She knew that Danny would be there, after all he was one of Leo's best friends. But at least if Vaughn was there then he could help to take her mind off the jerk known as her boyfriend. Of course, I promised someone special that I would be there and I never break a promise! Sydney turned around and smiled at Vaughn, which Danny noticed.  
  
"What is she doing?" He whispered to Leo, but obviously he didn't whisper it quietly enough.  
  
"Mr Hecht, is there a problem?" Irina stared over the edge of the book, at her daughter's boyfriend. She had never been a big fan of Danny, sure he was a nice enough guy, but she thought that Sydney deserved somebody better. Somebody like Michael perhaps. Danny quickly tore his eyes away from Sydney and looked at Ms. Derevko.  
  
"No, no problem." He lied.  
  
The rest of the week went quite quickly. Sydney continued to ignore Danny, which only made him get more jealous. Syd was hanging out more with Vaughn and Weiss much to the dismay of Danny. Saturday came, and Sydney was over at the Halliwell house, getting ready with the girls. She had chosen to wear a red dress, which showed off her slender figure. Her hair was loosely pinned to the top of her head, with some curls falling down onto the sides of her face. She walked out of the bathroom, to see her friends already dressed ready to go. Phoebe was wearing a sky blue halterneck top, accompanied by a white gypsy skirt, and Paige had also chosen to wear a skirt and a top she had sneaked out of Phoebe's wardrobe. Piper had picked a black dress, which she really suited her.  
  
"You all look great!" Patty Halliwell exclaimed as she walked up the stairs. She looked at her daughters proudly, amazed at their beauty.  
  
"Thanks mom. We best get going, we don't wanna be late!" Phoebe said as she picked up her purse. The other girls agreed, and said their goodbyes to Patty and made their way out of the house. Leo's house wasn't that far so they decided that they would walk. Arm in arm they made their way down the street.  
  
"Sydney, is Michael still coming tonight?" Paige asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, he said that he was gonna come. Why do you ask?" Sydney knew that Paige had a crush on him and she didn't like it.  
  
"Great! I was just wondering. You and him are quite close aren't you?" Sydney didn't answer so Paige continued. "Does he have a girlfriend?" Piper glanced at Sydney and she could immediately see how uncomfortable she was even though Paige couldn't.  
  
"He hasn't mentioned anybody." Sydney replied sighing.  
  
Paige's smile widened. "So you think that maybe..."  
  
"PAIGE!" Piper yelled. Everybody looked at Piper in surprise. "Look, the guy has only just moved in. At least let him settle down before you try and start something with him. Just give Sydney a break, okay?" Paige nodded in defeat.  
  
Sydney breathed a sigh of relief. When Phoebe and Paige weren't looking, she turned and mouthed: "Thank you!"  
  
Piper knew that Sydney's attraction to Vaughn was more than just a crush, even if she wasn't ready to admit it yet. 


	7. Chapter 7 part 1

Chapter 7  
  
When they arrived at the party, Paige and Phoebe hurried in, but Sydney grabbed hold of Piper's arm and pulled her aside. "Listen, thanks for what you did before." Sydney said smiling gratefully at her friend.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Paige can get a little carried away at times." They both laughed. "But erm...what's the deal with you and Michael?" Piper asked playing with the bracelets on her wrist. Sydney opened her mouth to reply but she was interrupted by Francie and Will.  
  
"Hey you two!" She said giving them both a hug. "Are you guys coming in?" She asked puzzled at why they were standing outside when the party was inside. Sydney and Piper looked at each other momentarily, both secretly agreeing that this discussion would be continued later. "Yeah sure." They finally said in unison, and all four of them entered the house together.  
  
Luckily Leo's parents had agreed to go out for the evening, obviously not wanting to interfere with their son's party. The house was already getting full of people, music blearing out from the stereo in the living room. Francie and co made their way over to Leo, smiling happily as he spotted them.  
  
"Happy birthday!" They all said, each giving him a hug.  
  
"Thanks! I'm really glad that you all came." His face was glowing with happiness.  
  
"Here...this is from all of us!" Francie handed over the gift as Phoebe, Paige and Cole joined them. Leo took hold of the envelope and opened it, revealing two tickets to the opening game of the new baseball season. Leo's eyes lit up as he held the tickets in his hands. "Oh my God! You guys...I don't know what to say!" He looked at them speechless. "Thank you so much!" He said laughing. He had been a huge baseball fan for years, but he had never found the time to go to a game. This was the perfect gift for him.  
  
They all began talking amongst themselves as Syd secretly scanned the room for Vaughn. At a first glance she saw no sight of him, but this didn't bother her too much, as she knew that Leo's house was relatively big, so finding Vaughn would be a task. But for now she was stood next to Will as she chatted away to him.  
  
"So, how's things going between you and Francie?" Sydney asked curiously nodding over into Francie's direction. Will blushed slightly.  
  
"It's going great..."  
  
Something caught Syd's eye making her attention shift from Will. He didn't notice as he carried on gushing about how great Francie was. Looking over into the corner of the room, she spotted Michael talking to Lauren Reed. Sydney didn't know Lauren all that well, but Leo had always been good friends with her. Vaughn was wearing dark blue jeans, accompanied by a black shirt. She couldn't help but gaze at how cute he looked. She looked back at Will and acted like she was listening to him, but she soon found herself glancing over at Vaughn again.  
  
Vaughn had been talking to Lauren for about fifteen minutes, when he had noticed Sydney walk in with her friends. He had wanted to go and talk with her, but she seemed to be busy with her friends and he didn't want to interrupt them. He kept glancing over at her, amazed at how beautiful she looked. He finally made eye contact with her and they both stood at opposite sides of the room, staring intently at one another. Vaughn smiled at her, and mouthed the word 'hey' to her. She returned his smile, marvelling in the fact that his green eyes were still visible from the other side of the room. She lifted her hand and waved at him, which went unnoticed by Will who was still chatting to her and looking around the room.  
  
Realising that they were both staring at each other, they looked away each blushing. But when Sydney looked back over at where he had been standing, he had gone. Looking around her in confusion, she couldn't figure out where he had gone. She shrugged her shoulders thinking that she would catch up with him later.  
  
"I'm just gonna go and get a drink. You want anything?" She asked Will.  
  
"No I'm ok." He replied. She walked into the kitchen, smiling at the people she knew. She began pouring a drink when she heard someone walk up beside her.  
  
"You look beautiful tonight Syd!" He whispered only loud enough for her to hear. She knew straight away who it was. The sexy voice had become one that she would never get tired of hearing. She turned around smiling at the sight of Michael standing beside her.  
  
"What can I say? I guess I dress to impress!" She said jokingly.  
  
"Well, I'm truly impressed." He replied his smile widening. He loved the flirty conversations that they had with one another.  
  
"I'm really glad you came." She didn't know what it was, but everytime that she was around him she seemed to have so much fun.  
  
"Me too actually!" He admitted shyly to her.  
  
"Come on, I want to introduce you to some people!" She took hold of his hand, shivering slightly as he closed his hand around hers. She smiled before leading him out of the kitchen. They walked through the crowds of people, as Syd searched for the people she was looking for. She finally found them in the sitting around the settee laughing and joking. Michael had no idea what she was doing, but he continued to hold her hand and follow her across the room.  
  
She stopped as she stood behind the beige couch. "You guys, there's somebody that I want you to meet." They all turned to look at Sydney. Piper noticed immediately that Syd had hold of his hand, and gave her friend a 'you like him' kinda look. Sydney realised what she was doing, and quickly released his hand.  
  
"I know that you all haven't been properly introduced, but I thought that it was time that you were. Everybody this is Michael Vaughn, Michael this is Leo, Phoebe, Cole, Piper, and Will." She said pointing to each person in turn. They all smiled and said hey to him. "Erm...I guess Paige and Francie are around here somewhere aswell, but you can always meet them later." She shrugged, smiling at him.  
  
"It's good to meet you all!" Vaughn said politely. Just by looking at Syd's friends he could tell that they were close. The way they acted around each other made it obvious that they were really close friends. He really hoped that him and Syd could have that type of friendship, if not something more. But then that would never happen because she still had a boyfriend.  
  
"So Michael, how are you liking California?" Phoebe asked, turning to face Syd and her friend.  
  
"I'm loving it here. I've made some good friends..." He smiled at Syd, "It's been great so far." Sydney smiled and turned to her friends giving them a 'be nice to him' look.  
  
The conversation continued, until another one of their friends joined them. "Hi" Danny had just arrived at the party, and he didn't look so pleased to see Sydney with Michael. He glared at Michael and then looked at Sydney as if he was trying to figure out where she was there with him. The group remained silent, everyone looking around the room feeling uncomfortable with the tension which had surrounded them. There were things that Syd and Danny had to say to each other, but they both knew that Leo's party wasn't the place.  
  
"You wanna go and get some fresh air or something?" Sydney suggested looking at Vaughn. It wasn't that she needed to go outside, but she just couldn't stand the awkwardness.  
  
"Sure." Vaughn could see how much Danny was getting to her, and he didn't want her to feel that way. He turned and began to walk outside, receiving a cold look from Danny.  
  
"We'll see you guys later." Sydney said glancing around all of her friends, and then she looked at Danny. She could tell that he was jealous of Vaughn, but right now she didn't care. She wasn't in the mood to be dealing with Danny and his issues. He would have to wait. 


	8. Chapter 7 part 2

Chapter 7 (part 2!)  
  
Sydney followed Vaughn outside. Although it wasn't cold outside and it was still fairly light, Leo's back garden was deserted. Sydney was quite pleased about this because right now she wasn't really in the mood to face a crowd. She stood leaning on the wall of the house, deeply breathing in the fresh air trying to keep herself calm.  
  
"Are you ok?" Vaughn asked his voice full of concern. He could see that she clearly wasn't ok, which made him want to wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything would be ok.  
  
She sighed. "Yeah, it's just..." She searched for a way to tell him how she was feeling. "The whole thing with Danny, it's getting to me." She moved to sit down on a bench a couple of feet away from the house. "Look you can go inside if you want. I'm sure that there's loads of people inside that you wanna talk to!" She told him, secretly hoping that he would stay outside with her in the garden.  
  
He moved to sit down next to her on the bench. "Syd, I didn't come to this party to talk to a bunch of people that I don't even know." He put his hand on her chin, gently turning her face to look at him. "I came to talk to you!" He smiled shyly at her. He could see tears glistening in her eyes, making them even more beautiful. Something that he thought would never be possible.  
  
"Thank you." She smiled back at him suddenly feeling less upset.  
  
"Now, do you wanna talk about it?" Vaughn asked quietly, not wanting to force her to share her problems with him.  
  
Sydney looked down at her lap, contemplating all the problems in her life. Danny was the major one. "Danny and I, we used to be so...close you know. But he's changed, and not in a good way." She looked at him, her eyes full of despair. "The more time that I spend apart from him, the happier I am. And that's not the way it should be. Not if you truly love someone." Vaughn listened intently, even though he was jealous of what Danny and Syd have. Or had as the case maybe.  
  
"Are you saying that you don't love him anymore?" Vaughn asked. He put his arm on her back, giving her some comfort. She could feel the warmth of his hand through her dress, and she felt safe. For the first time in a long while.  
  
"To be honest with you Michael, I don't think I do." She shook her head, as the truth was finally spilling out. During the summer we grew apart and then the least little things that he would do, annoyed the hell outta me. Then suddenly he was becoming all jealous and possessive. And then he kicked off over me spending time with you." She rested her head in her hands, not knowing what she should do.  
  
"Look if you want my advice..." She looked up at him, so he continued. "If being with Danny doesn't feel right to you, then don't be with him. It's better to end it now, before you get really hurt." He couldn't believe that he had just tried to convince her to break up with her boyfriend. What was up with him?  
  
"Your right!" Sydney admitted. "It's about time that I end this." A single tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm just afraid..." She took a deep breath, wishing that the problem with Danny would just disappear.  
  
"Of what?" Vaughn still had his hand gently on her back, his fingers drawing light circles over her dress.  
  
"Of being alone!" She stated, feeling rather stupid for admitting her fears to him. Vaughn felt a lump rise in his throat.  
  
"Syd, you're never going to be alone. You have a group of friends in there," he pointed to the house. "Who love you more than anything. And I'm always gonna be here for you Syd!" She sat up, and looked him in the eyes. She could see how much her cared for her just by looking into the sea of green that was infront of her. She could even hear his concern in his voice.  
  
They sat looking into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Sydney was overcome with emotion, she couldn't believe how much better she felt just by sitting outside with Vaughn. A tear quickly rolled down her cheek, but Vaughn lifted up his hand, and wiped it away. The touch of his hand on her face made Sydney's heart pound faster.  
  
Vaughn loved the feel of her skin it was perfect. Just like Syd. Reluctantly, he moved his hand away, but she quickly took hold of it, slowly pulling him towards her. He didn't refuse this gesture, so he soon found himself one step closer to kissing Sydney Bristow.  
  
They were now a couple of inches away from each other, each feeling both nervous and exited about what was going to happen next. Sydney finally decided to close the gap between them, but as soon as they were about to kiss, the patio door flew open and out staggered a group of teenagers who had obviously had too much to drink, as they were staggering around the garden.  
  
Sydney and Vaughn immediately pulled away, their faces mirroring the expression that a young child might have when they have been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. Sydney let go of his hand opting to fold her arms across her chest as she thought about what had just happened. Or more like what had not just happened. Maybe it was a good thing that they were interrupted when they were, it may have stopped Syd form doing something that she might have regretted later. But then on the other hand she really wanted to kiss Vaughn, but thoughts of her jealous boyfriend kept flooding into her mind.  
  
Vaughn let out a sigh, silently cursing the drunken idiots for coming outside when they did. They looked at each other, and both blushing.  
  
Clearing her throat, and sighing, Sydney was the first to speak. "We best get back inside." Vaughn reluctantly nodded and followed her indoors.  
  
Piper and Leo were sitting on the couch listening to the music. The party was going well and everybody seemed to be having a good time, except for Danny who was sulking about his situation with Sydney.  
  
"So are you having a nice birthday?" Piper asked, entwining their hands together. She had been dating Leo for about 2 years, and she loved every minute of it.  
  
"Of course I am, now that I get to spend it with you and all of my friends." He leant in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. They pulled apart, and a pair of hands came and covered Piper's eyes. Leo saw the mystery person and smiled, leaving Piper totally oblivious.  
  
"Phoebe?" She guessed, but as there was no answer she continued to shout out the names of her friends. "Paige?...Sydney?...Cole?...Francie?...I give up!" She said throwing her arms up into the air.  
  
The hands were removed and Piper spun around and she could hardly believe who was infront of her.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Prue!" She threw her arms around her sister, pulling her into a tight embrace.  
  
"Hey sis!" Prue managed to say, once Piper had stopped hugging her.  
  
"What? What are you doing here? Not that I'm not pleased to see you." She looked like somebody had placed a coat hanger in her mouth, her smile was slowly taking over her face.  
  
Prue sat down on the couch next to her sister. "Dad had to come into town to do some business, and I knew that it was Leo's birthday, so I thought that I would come and celebrate with you guys." Prue's face mirrored the happy expression that was on Piper's. "Happy birthday Leo." She stood up and hugged him, before reclaiming her place next to her sister.  
  
"I'll leave you guys to catch up." Leo kissed his girlfriend on the cheek and left them.  
  
"This is great. How long are you in town for?"  
  
"A couple of days, but I was thinking that I'm thinking about stay for a bit longer. You know I've really missed you, Phoebe, Paige and mom. I haven't spoken to dad about it yet, but I'm sure that he wouldn't mind me spending some more time over here..."  
  
"PRUE!" Phoebe and Paige ran across the room after noticing her. Prue hugged her younger sisters.  
  
"Hey you guys." Her eyes filled up with tears, as she realized just how much she had missed them. It amazed her at times; the strong bond that they shared as sisters. She loved them more than anybody else in the world, and it was at that moment that she decided that she would definitely stay in LA longer than she had planned. 


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Sydney quickly excused herself from Vaughn's company and went to the bathroom. She passed Danny on the way, looking at him briefly before continuing on her way. She sat in the bathroom for a couple of minutes thinking about Vaughn. And then her mind wondered back to Danny. She had to admit that she wasn't totally happy in the relationship, which was partly her fault for beginning to get feelings for another guy. Danny had always been good to her, except for his jealous outbursts, which he had occasionally. But there was just one major problem...he wasn't Michael. There was something about the new guy in her life that Sydney couldn't quite put her finger on. Maybe it was his sense of humor, or his really good looks. Or maybe it was that they shared a connection that she didn't have with Danny. Oh come on Sydney, you've only known this guy for about a week. It's just a crush. Or is it?  
  
Sydney knew that she would have to talk to someone about this, she needed help sorting her feelings out. And she knew just the person who could help her.  
  
Most of the group had now found out that Prue was back. They were all sat around the couch, catching up on old memories, and drinking beers. Danny was sitting with them, but he wasn't paying much attention to what was being said. His mind was filled with thoughts about Sydney. A couple of weeks ago they had been so happy. And now they hadn't spoken in days. The truth was he missed her, but he wasn't quite sure how he could win her back. Not now that this Vaughn guy was in the picture.  
  
"Do you guys remember that time when it was Phoebe's 7th birthday party, and we had that big bouncy castle in the garden. And then you guys, "Prue pointed at Cole and Leo. "Tried to be smart, and Leo ended up bouncing off it!" The girls laughed as they remembered that certain incident.  
  
"Hey, that wasn't funny. I ended up breaking my arm, and I had to wear a cast for weeks." Leo wasn't as amused as the others were, as he relived that painful memory.  
  
"You have to admit honey, it was quite funny." Piper put her arm around her boyfriend. "You were so cute at that age!" She smiled lovingly at him.  
  
"Are you saying I'm not cute now?" Leo asked mockingly.  
  
"I wouldn't be with you if you weren't! Let's face it, I'm not with you because of your excellent skills on a bouncy castle!" She laughed to herself, knowing that she was winding him up.  
  
"I'm hurt now." Leo crossed his arms and sat back on the couch, a fake angry expression covering his face. Piper could see right through the fake expressions, but she cut their little game short.  
  
"Oh honey. I'm sorry." She leant in and kissed him on the cheek. "You know that I think you're absolutely gorgeous!" Leo looked at her, still trying to act hurt. But one look at her and he couldn't do it any longer. He pulled her towards him and passionately kissed her on the lips. "I love you." He told her between kisses.  
  
"I love you too!" Piper replied as she snuggled closer to him on the couch. Danny rolled his eyes. This was all he needed a loved up couple right infront of him. He then saw the person that he needed walking straight towards them. Sydney Anne Bristow.  
  
"Piper, can I talk to you in private please?" Sydney asked. She looked at Piper and then at Vaughn who was stood in the far side of the room talking to some people.  
  
"Sure." She kissed Leo on the cheek, and then stood up from the couch. Syd took hold of her hand and led her away so that they could talk. The rest of the group looked at each other clearly confused about what was going on.  
  
"Syd what's wrong?" Piper finally asked once they were out of earshot. They had stopped in the kitchen, which was empty for now. Sydney leaned against the kitchen counter, wondering where she should start.  
  
"Before, you asked me what the deal was with me and Michael..." Piper nodded, so she continued. "Well, I nearly kissed him." Sydney began examining that floor, not wanting to look her friend in the eyes. Piper took a seat at the kitchen table, and motioned Sydney over to do the same.  
  
"Tell me what happened." Piper said coolly.  
  
"We went outside to get some fresh air, you know I was upset about seeing Danny here. We started talking, and I told him that he could go back inside and get to know people. But then he said that he didn't come here for other people, he came because of me. And then I decided that I was gonna end it with Danny. I got upset, and Michael wiped the tears off my face, and then the next thing I knew I was pulling him towards me so that I could kiss him." Sydney stopped, and looked at Piper for some advice.  
  
"You said you nearly kissed him. So why didn't you?" Piper rested her chin on her hands as she listened.  
  
"We were interrupted. A group of people came out, and we both pulled away." She sighed. "And then it got so awkward, and I suggested that we should go back inside. But I just wanted to stay out there with him. What am I going to do Piper, I don't want things to be awkward between me and Vaughn?"  
  
"Are you sure that things are over between you and Danny?" Syd nodded. "I suggest that you don't break up with him here, but the first chance you get you should talk to him. And as for Michael, he obviously likes you; otherwise he wouldn't have tried to kiss you. Go and find him now and talk to him. See what he says." Piper squeezed Sydney's hand comfortingly.  
  
"Okay. Thanks sweetie." She stood up and kissed Piper on the head.  
  
"Come and find me later and tell me what he says!" She watched as her friend drank a shot of tequila, trying to give herself courage for confronting Michael.   
  
Piper rejoined the rest of her friends after Sydney had left her in the kitchen. She took her usual spot besides Leo, as she looked around the room for any signs of Syd and Michael.  
  
"What did Sydney want to talk to you about?" Paige asked curiously.  
  
Piper glanced briefly at Danny and then at her sister. "Nothing important. She just needed a little girl talk, that's all." They all looked at her questioningly and then decided to drop the subject.  
  
"So, do any of you know if Andy is still single?" Prue asked hoping for the answer that she wanted to hear. Andy and Prue were an item when she lived in LA, and then when she moved to San Francisco, they tried the long distance thing, but it hadn't worked for long. They soon grew apart, and Prue hadn't heard from him in over 3 months.  
  
"Yeah I think he is. Why, are you wanting to get back together with him?" Cole asked.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Hey!" Sydney stood behind Vaughn, amazed at how fast her heart was beating in her chest. He slowly turned around and smiled at her.  
  
"Hey!" His voice was just as soft and gentle as hers had been. They stood for a minute looking into each other's eyes.  
  
"Listen Syd." "Michael." They both spoke simultaneously, wanting to discuss the same subject. Sydney looked down at her feet, not knowing what to say next.  
  
"You go." Vaughn said, giving her the opportunity to speak. 


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**  
  
"Ok..." Sydney looked up from the floor, meeting Vaughn's gaze. His sparkling eyes pulled her in, making her momentarily forget what she was going to say. "Erm...look I'm guessing that we're both wanting to talk about the same thing?" Vaughn nodded. "Well how about for tonight we just cast that aside...and have fun like we had planned?" Sydney smiled at him, and suddenly he found himself unable to disagree with her.  
  
"Ok, sounds like a good plan to me! You wanna dance?" He glanced over at the group of dancing people who had gathered in the center of the room. Sydney followed his gaze, and found herself slowly moving towards them.  
  
"Come on then Vaughn, show me what you got!" She winked, and began to dance her way through the crowd. Vaughn followed her, watching every move she made. He was amazed at how well she danced, she seemed so at ease when she danced, like the music took away all the troubles in her life.  
  
They were dancing facing each other, the music drowning out the voices of the people talking in the room. Sydney moved her hips in time with the music, her arms moving around above her head. Watching her as she danced, Vaughn realized how much he was falling for this girl. Every so often, Sydney would move closer to him as they were dancing, staring intently into his eyes.  
  
Over the other side of the room, Piper noticed Syd and Michael dancing together and the excitement was visible on her face. Her smile didn't go unnoticed by Danny who was soon looking in the same direction she was, only to find his girlfriend dancing with the new guy. He looked briefly at them, before turning his attention back to Piper.  
  
"Why exactly are you smiling. She's up there making a show of herself with that guy. How can you sit there smiling?"  
  
"The only person making a show of themselves around here Danny is you. Sydney's a grown girl; she doesn't need your permission to dance with Michael." Piper was blunt. She had never really liked Danny, even though he was the most popular guy in school and any other girl would do anything to be friends with him, just like she was.  
  
"You didn't answer my question." He glared over at her.  
  
"Leo, you wanna go an dance?" She asked her boyfriend, who was happy to get her away from Danny. Piper and Leo joined Syd and Michael who seemed to be dancing in their own little world. Danny just watched on as the four of them had fun on the dance floor.  
  
**

* * *

**

**A couple of hours later**  
  
The party was beginning to die down now, it was now 2:30 in the morning, and several people had already left. A lot of people were either drunk, or passed out in the various rooms. Danny had been one of the first to leave, he had tried to talk to Syd again but she had spent most of the night either dancing with Michael or playing drinking games with the rest of her friends.  
  
Syd was busy getting ready to leave that she didn't notice Vaughn walking over to her. "Great party eh?" He asked greeting her with a small smile.  
  
"Yeah, it definitely was!" Sydney had drunk a lot, but right now she was feeling happier than ever. But she knew that she would pay for all the fun she had that night, with a big hang over the next morning.  
  
"You want me to walk you home?" Vaughn asked, hoping she would accept his offer.  
  
Syd paused before answering him. "Sure, why not. Let me just say goodbye to everyone." She walked away, towards Paige and Phoebe. Piper had decided to spend the night at Leo's and Francie had left about an hour ago with Will.  
  
"You ready to go Sydney? We're just waiting for Cole and then we're off!" Paige informed her.  
  
"Actually, Michael's offered to walk me home...so I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Sydney hugged each of her friends, and then staggered back down the hallway to find Vaughn waiting patiently by the door.  
  
He opened the door for her and they began their walk home together. The sky was perfectly clear, except for the moon shining down on them. A cold breeze made Syd shiver, so Vaughn quickly took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.  
  
"Thanks." She snuggled into the jacket, enjoying the smell of his aftershave, which had rubbed off of him, and onto the jacket.  
  
20 minutes later, they were standing on Sydney's doorstep. They walked to her house quite slowly, talking about the party and Vaughn's life in Paris. Sydney fumbled in her bag for her house keys.  
  
"Your mom must have gone to bed!" Vaughn looked at the house and noticed that there weren't any lights on.  
  
"No, she's gone out of town with some friends. I think she said that they were going to a spa or something like that...anyways she won't be back until tomorrow night." Sydney told him as she finally found her keys. "Erm...do you wanna come inside for a little while?" Sydney asked opening the front door.  
  
Vaughn accepted her offer immediately. "Sure!" He smiled and followed her inside the house. Sydney took off her shoes and threw her keys onto the table near the front door. "Make yourself at home!" Sydney ran up the stairs to change, leaving Vaughn sitting on the couch in the living room. The clock on the mantle piece told him that it was 3:20am, but he figured that his mom didn't know that he wasn't back yet, as she was probably asleep.  
  
He looked around the room, admiring the photographs of Sydney from over the years. He could tell just by looking at them, that Sydney would break a lot of guy's hearts when she was older...hopefully he wouldn't be one of them. Sydney stood in the doorway silently watching him. She could see him smiling to himself as he looked over the various photos scattered around the room.  
  
He finally turned around and saw her immediately putting down the photograph. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be noisy!" Vaughn apologised.  
  
"Vaughn, you don't have to apologise for looking at embarrassing pictures of me..." Sydney laughed. "It just means that one day I'll have to come and look at all your embarrassing photos!" She said, taking a seat on the couch.  
  
"Deal." Vaughn agreed and then sat next to her. Syd switched on the tv to find re-runs of Friends being shown.  
  
"I love this show!" Michael said as he started to laugh at the comedy on the screen.  
  
"Me too!" Syd replied, settling down to watch one of her favourite shows.  
  
After the show had finished, Vaughn decided that it was about time that he went home. "I best get going, it's late!"  
  
"Oh, ok." Vaughn could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Unless you want to stay here tonight? I mean...you can stay on the couch. It would be better than going home at this time, and besides I don't like being in the house by myself." She looked at him with her puppy dog eyes, and he felt like he couldn't refuse.  
  
"Well, ok. I wouldn't want you to be all alone now would I." Vaughn smiled. "But you can't use those puppy dog eyes for a very long time!"  
  
"Ok." Sydney laughed as she ran up the stairs and came down carrying a blanket and a pillow, which she placed on the couch. He thanked her for them and she turned to leave.  
  
"Goodnight Syd." She smiled sweetly at him, and then walked up the stairs to her room. Vaughn turned the living room light out, and lay on the couch wrapped in his own thoughts. He couldn't believe that he was spending the night in Sydney Bristow's house, he knew that if Danny found out he would freak.  
  
Sydney lay in her bed, trying to sleep, but all she could think about what the party and how close she had been to kissing Vaughn. She rolled over, trying to push thoughts of him out of her mind. Before she knew what she was doing, she was out of the bed and walking down the stairs towards the living room.  
  
She could see him lying on the couch in the dark, and without making a noise she crept over to the couch. She could tell that he was still awake, so she carefully pulled back the covers and lay beside him on the couch. He responded by wrapping his arms around her and pulling the cover back around them both. Syd snuggled up to him, and just before she fell asleep, she whispered "Goodnight Vaughn."


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**  
  
Sydney eventually woke up from her peaceful sleep. She was still lying next to Vaughn, his arms wrapped comfortingly around her. Noticing how angelic he looked as he slept Syd gently touched his cheek causing him to smile slightly in his sleep. Smiling to herself, she carefully slid out of his embrace, and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. Her head was banging, the results of the fun she had the night before. She had a sip of water and then went upstairs to freshen up.  
  
Vaughn slowly opened his eyes, aware that Syd was no longer next to him, a feeling, which he didn't like. He sat up on the couch stretching his arms above his head, looking around to see where she was. Realising that she wasn't in the room, Vaughn stood up, feeling slightly dizzy, his head hurting slightly. He knew that Syd had to be feeling worse than this as she had drunken more that he did last night. He walked into the kitchen to make breakfast for the two of them, figuring that it was the least that he could do since she let him spend the night.  
  
Sydney quickly showered and decided to wear a denim skirt accompanied with a pink halterneck top. Her hair was down, gently framing her face, and her make up was minimal. She went back downstairs to find that Vaughn was no longer on the couch. Wondering where he was she walked into the kitchen to find that he had made breakfast. Looking down at the kitchen table she saw that he had made bagels for them both and there was a bowl of freshly made fruit salad. She also noticed that there was a single white rose next to one of the plates.  
  
"Good morning." Vaughn said leaning on the kitchen counter. Syd smiled at how adorable he looked, his hair was all messed up and his eyes were as green as ever. He was still wearing his clothes from the night before, his black shirt was opened slightly at the top giving Sydney a small peak of his tanned body.  
  
"Good morning." She replied. "You made breakfast!" She exclaimed, nodding towards the food on the table.  
  
"You sound surprised..." Vaughn raised his eyebrow questioningly. He silently admired how beautiful she looked standing in the doorway, her choice of outfit showing off her wonderful figure.  
  
"I am. I just wasn't expecting you to do all this." She admitted as she took a seat. Vaughn sat in the seat next to her massaging the sides of his head.  
  
"Hung over?" She asked sympathetically knowing exactly how he was feeling. She took a bite of her bagel as she waited for his answer.  
  
"You could say that! But it's worth it, I had a great time last night."  
  
"Yeah me too! Look Vaughn about last night..." Sydney started as she played with the stem on the rose.  
  
"Yeah, I think we should probably talk about that." He agreed with her, knowing that they would eventually have to talk about what happened the night before.  
  
"You know that me and Danny are going through a rough patch, one that we're probably not gonna get through. But I don't want you thinking that I'm hanging out with you to make him jealous. Because I'm not."  
  
"Sydney, I know you're not!" Vaughn tried to reassure her. It hadn't crossed his mind that she was only friends with him to make her boyfriend jealous. Even though he had only known her for a week, he knew that she wasn't that type of person.  
  
"So you don't think that I tried to kiss you just to make him jealous?" Sydney asked, hoping that he would say no.  
  
"Well I hope that you didn't..." Vaughn looked down at the table, a feeling of sadness washing over him. Sydney suddenly felt guilty for making him look upset. She took his hand in hers, holding it gently.  
  
"No, Vaughn look at me." She lifted his chin up forcing him to make eye contact with her. "I went to kiss you because I like you a lot. Danny had nothing to do with it." Vaughn's face began to look happy again, as a smile creased the sides of his mouth. "Having said that though, I'm not breaking up with Danny because of you, I'm doing it mainly for myself because things aren't working out between us." She released his hand and continued to play with the rose.  
  
"I totally understand." Vaughn smiled warmingly at her.  
  
"I'm not saying that I don't want something to happen between us, it's just that I don't know if I'm ready and I don't want to pressure you into a relationship, that might not even be what you want..." Vaughn placed his finger on her lips preventing her from continuing.  
  
"Syd, whenever you're ready, I'll be right here. Ok?" Their eyes locked as she nodded in agreement with him. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Vaughn realised that he had better go home before his mom started worrying. "I best get going."  
  
"Ok." They both stood up, Sydney clutching the rose, lifting it to her nose so that she could smell it. She loved the smell of roses, somehow he must have guessed that they were her favourite flower. "Michael, thanks for being so understanding and for keeping me company last night!" She smiled gratefully at him as they walked towards the front door. She had a lot of things on her mind, most of them being about how she was gonna tell Danny that she wanted to break up with him. But spending all that time with Vaughn had made her feel much happier; he had put her in a really good mood.  
  
"No problem, and listen if you ever need someone to talk to, you know where I am!" Vaughn comfortingly rubbed her arm.  
  
"Thanks. So what do you have planned for today?" She asked as they made it to the front door.  
  
"I said I'd go over to Eric's, and we're gonna go an play some hockey! But I've never seen Weiss play before, so you never know we could end up with a few injuries!" They both laughed as Syd opened the door.  
  
"I'm sure you'll both be fine...Danny!" She turned to see her soon to be ex boyfriend standing on the front step his hand raised ready to knock on the door. 


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11  
**  
"Danny! What are you doing here?" Sydney looked questioningly at him, as he glared coldly at herself and Vaughn. He looked truly shocked to see Vaughn there, but they were just as shocked to see him.  
  
"I came to talk to you, so that we could sort things out..." He quickly glanced at Vaughn as he said that, which didn't go unnoticed by Syd. "But obviously you were too busy doing something else!" Danny turned to go but he was stopped by Vaughn's hand, grabbing hold of his arm.  
  
"Who do you think you're talking to? You have no right talking to Sydney like that. You don't know how lucky you are having her as your girlfriend... you should think about that next time you try to treat her the way you do." Vaughn spoke in a harsh tone of voice. He had never really been one for violence but he couldn't stand the thought of jerks like Danny getting away with treating Sydney in that way. Sydney stood beside Vaughn, not knowing whether or not she should intervene. After all she was kinda the reason why they were fighting.  
  
"I don't need you to tell me how to treat my girlfriend, so why don't you do us all a favour and go back to France or where ever you came from. After all, we wouldn't want your time here to be unpleasant now would we?" Danny taunted him, his face showing Vaughn that he meant every word that he had been saying.  
  
"Is that a threat?" Vaughn asked already aware of what the answer would be.  
  
"Oh, so you're not as dumb as you look! I'm surprised! All I'm saying is that we wouldn't want to ruin that pretty little face of yours now would we?" Danny informed his as he walked closer to Vaughn, obviously ready to punch him.  
  
"DANNY! That's enough! Now get inside, we need to talk." Sydney ordered him, as she came and stood between them, stopping either of them getting hurt. The two guys stood glaring at each other for a couple of minutes, before Danny finally broke away and pushed his way past Michael. "Just stay the hell away from my girlfriend." Danny entered Sydney's house, only to stop when he heard Vaughn speak again.  
  
"Your threats don't scare me Danny. I'll only stay away from Sydney if and when she tells me to. I'm not gonna take orders from guys like you, so you can think about that next time you try to threaten me!" Danny chose to ignore what he had just said and walked into the living room of the house, leaving Sydney and Vaughn standing outside.  
  
Sydney put her hand on Michael's arm, making him turn his attention from Danny and back to her. "You better go, the quicker I get this over with the better." Vaughn turned to face Sydney, his eyes displaying all the concern that he was feeling for her.  
  
"Are you sure you're gonna be ok with him in there?" Vaughn asked, nodding towards the house where the psychotic boyfriend was waiting. Sydney smiled at him as she addressed his concerns. "Hey, I know how to handle Danny. I'll be perfectly fine. Go on go, you don't wanna keep Weiss waiting..." He nodded in agreement. "I might come and find you guys later after I'm done. If that's ok with you?" She asked as she looked down at the floor, feeling not quite sure about what his answer would be.  
  
"I'd like that...I'd like that a lot!" Vaughn watched her face as she looked up from the floor, meeting his gaze. Their eyes locked for a couple of seconds as they both stood there, smiles glowing from their faces.  
  
"Yeah, me too." Sydney admitted. "I best go and sort Danny out." She sighed as she left Vaughn standing in the driveway, so that she could go and face the inevitable.  
  
Sydney slammed the door shut and marched into the living room. It was funny how she had woke up this morning in this very room, feeling happier than ever. And now she was full of anger and rage. Danny sensed that she was angry, so he prepared himself for the lecture that he knew she was about to give him.  
  
"What gives you the right? Huh?" She saw the confused look on his face, but she wasn't about to be fooled by one of his acts. "Tell me what gives you the right?"  
  
Danny looked at her not knowing what she was talking about. "The right to do what Sydney? I don't know what you're on about!"  
  
"The right to come around here and treat my friends the way you do. To threaten them and tell them what to do! So go on I wanna know why you think you have the right to do that." She stood with her arms folded, her face knotted with anger.  
  
"Well I wanna know what gives you the right to sleep with other guys behind your boyfriend's back." Danny rose from the couch where he had been sitting and stood facing her, his face now mirroring the look of anger that was spread across hers.  
  
"What you saw this morning is not what it looks like. Yeah Vaughn stayed the night, but it was totally innocent. He slept on the couch." _I'm not lying to him; I'm just not mentioning the fact that I slept on the couch too_. Sydney tried to tell herself that she was doing the right thing by not telling Danny about her and Vaughn's sleeping arrangements from the night before. "It was too late for him to go home, so I let him crash here for the night. It's what friends do they help each other out."  
  
Danny laughed in her face. He knew that Sydney had become attached to this guy, but the thought that they were friends was ridiculous. "He's not your friend Sydney. You've only known him for a week. He's probably only after one thing, and we both know what that is."  
  
Sydney's mouth dropped in astonishment. Danny had no right judging Vaughn when he had never even said a nice word to him. "Vaughn's not like that Danny, you don't even know him. So don't even try to assume that you do, because you couldn't be more wrong about him. And as for me only knowing him for a week, that doesn't make him any less of a friend to me." Sydney thought of Vaughn as she said that last sentence. She wished that he were there with her, not because she couldn't handle Danny. Just because she wanted Danny to see how good friends they were.  
  
"Fine Sydney. We'll just have to agree to disagree. You like him and I don't. Let's just leave it at that." Danny thought that this would be the end to the argument. But he couldn't have been more wrong.  
  
"Danny, this isn't working out anymore!" The rage had suddenly disappeared form inside of her. All she was feeling was the will to be free. Free from Danny's glaring eyes, free from the confinement that had become their relationship.  
  
"What's not working out Sydney?" Danny had a feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer that he got. He took a deep breath trying to make the lump in the back of his throat go away.  
  
"This." She waved her hands between them, trying to tell him what she was talking about. "Us. We used to talk, we used to connect. Being with you Danny used to be fun, but now it feels more like a chore. All we ever seem to do is argue and fight."  
  
He was hurt she could see that. His eyes were glistening with tears that would remain unshed. He wouldn't cry infront of her, he would never let his guard down when she was there. "So what are you saying? You don't want us to be together anymore?"  
  
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying!" She felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders, as he finally understood what she was saying.  
  
He moved towards her, taking her hands in his. "You can't break up with me Sydney. I love you." His voice had become soft and gentle, as he tried his hardest to convince her not to go through with this.  
  
"I know you do Danny. And I still love you, but just not in the same way anymore." She looked into his eyes, hoping that he wouldn't make this any harder than it had to be.  
  
"Are you breaking up with me because of him?" He released her hands, the anger in his voice returning quickly.  
  
"Partly. But this just isn't right anymore; I would still be doing this even if I had never met Michael." She watched the look of jealousy and sadness washed over his face. She wasn't happy that she had made him feel like this, but she wouldn't stay for the wrong reasons. "And if Vaughn and me start dating then that'll be great, and if not that's good too. But I can't stay in a relationship that I'm not happy with anymore."  
  
"You do know that if you date him, you can kiss your popularity goodbye. No one's gonna want you to be the prom queen if you dating a loser like that. They're not gonna look up to you, or respect you the way they do now. Do you know that?"  
  
_I can't believe I'm hearing this_. "Is that seriously all you think about? Popularity isn't everything Danny, and I pity you if you think it is. Sure, being popular is fun, but I'm not gonna let it rule my life. I'd rather be happy and not that popular, than being the most popular girl in school and not an ounce of happiness in my life." She never knew just how much being popular meant to him, but she was different. It had been fun while it had lasted but if she went to school on Monday and she was no longer in the 'in- crowd' she'd live with it. What else could she do?  
  
"And what about your friends? Do you really think Phoebe, Piper, Paige and Francie are gonna be seen talking to you? You stop dating me Sydney; you'll become a nobody. They're not gonna wanna know you." He knew that his words were hurting her, but he had to make her see that what she was doing was wrong on so many levels.  
  
"Don't flatter yourself Danny." She laughed at him. How could he be this shallow? "How do you know that when I stop dating you, your popularity won't go down the drain?" He stared straight at her, not showing any reactions to what she was saying. "But to be honest with you I've had enough of the popular gig, I don't really care any more. And as for my friends not talking to me anymore, well if that's what they do then they obviously weren't worth having in the first place." She knew did down that her friends wouldn't abandon her. Would they?  
  
"Fine! It's your loss Sydney. Just don't come crying to me in a couple of weeks when you realise what you're throwing away, because I don't wanna know anymore." He threw his arms up in the arm, signalling how much he couldn't care about her any longer.  
  
"Whatever Danny. Now if you don't mind, the door's over there." She pointed to the front door and watched as he walked out and slammed it shut. It was finally over. She was finally free. 


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Vaughn skated towards the net, hitting the puck back and forth. Weiss stood firmly in the goal waiting for Vaughn to take the shot. They had been playing for over an hour and already Vaughn had managed to get the puck past him on several occasions. Either he was losing his touch, or Michael was much better than he said he was. Vaughn took the shot, successfully hitting another puck past his friend.

Smiling triumphantly Vaughn stopped on the ice, leaning on his hockey stick and wiping his forehead with the sleeve if his top. "What's the score now Eric?" Vaughn joked, knowing quite well that Weiss wasn't impressed with his winning streak.

"Yeah, yeah very funny." Weiss replied as he retrieved the puck from its new home at the back of the net. He hit it back to his friend watching as Vaughn quickly stopped it with his hockey stick.

"So, are you not gonna tell me about the party last night?" Weiss asked, skating around in a small circle infront of the goal. He smoothly glided over the ice, evidence that he had been skating for many years.

"What do you wanna know?" Vaughn replied skating away with the puck, as he prepared to make another shot at the net.

"I'd really like to know why you've been skating around all night looking like you slept with a coat hanger in your mouth..." Weiss waited eagerly for details about why he was so happy.

"It was a great party. And FYI, I have not been walking around like I have a coat hanger in my mouth." Vaughn corrected him, and swiftly hit the puck towards Eric, but Weiss stopped it before it could reach the net.

"Come on, if there was a sun in here, your teeth would be sunburnt. Now spill." Vaughn could see no way out of getting out of this. _What am I supposed to say, 'oh yeah the reason I'm so happy is because I spent the night with Syd in my arms, and today she's breaking up with her boyfriend and there could be a chance that we could go out!'_

"Ok, Weiss jokes like that...they're not good!" Vaughn laughed at Weiss's attempt of making a joke, whilst Weiss did his best to keep a hurt look on his face. "It was a great party! That's all." Vaughn figured that he wasn't lying to him, he was just keeping a few details from his for a while.

"Yeah right Vaughn. Like I'm gonna believe that. I've only known you for a little while, but I can tell that you're not telling me the truth. Now why are you so happy?" The rink was beginning to fill up with people, so both guys skated towards the benches to take their boots off. Vaughn decided that he would just tell Weiss the truth and see what he said.

"Ok, but Weiss you do not tell a soul this. Ok?" Weiss nodded, so Vaughn continued. "At the party last night, Syd got a bit upset about this whole Danny thing, so we went outside so that she could calm down. The short version, we talked for a little while and then we nearly kissed..."

"You what?" Eric interrupted him, a huge smile spread across his face.

"Eric, I said nearly. These drunken guys came out an interrupted us." Weiss calmed down, ready to hear the rest of the story. "I had a great time hanging out with her and her friends, and then I walked her home and she invited me inside. It was way too late for me to go home so she said that I could sleep on the couch. And then a couple of minutes later she came down and lay on the couch too so we fell asleep together!" Vaughn finished his story feeling as happy as he had when he woke up that morning.

"You don't waste any time do you." Weiss joked, not meaning a word of what he said. "But you do know that she has a boyfriend right? You know Danny - that big guy who already doesn't like you and would probably, no wait, definitely beat you up for doing that."

"I'm not stupid Eric. Sydney's breaking up with him, she said that things aren't working out for them. He came over this morning and saw me there and lets just say he kinda got the wrong impression." Vaughn walked over to the exit followed by Eric.

"I can imagine he did!" Vaughn shot him a glare but didn't say anything to him. "So you wanna go and catch a movie or something?" Weiss asked changing the subject. He was quite tired after the game, and an afternoon sitting infront of a giant screen, watching an action film and pigging out on a huge bucket of popcorn sounded like heaven to him.

"Sounds good!" Vaughn admitted.

Phoebe walked quickly into her sister's room. She was meant to meet Cole in a couple of minutes and she still wasn't ready. "Sis, can I lend your blue top please?" She asked, looking around the room for the top so that she could make a simple grab and run.

Prue was sat at her dressing table applying make up. Last night had been her first night back at the Manor and already she had emptied her suitcases and put her clothes in the usual places. But that as Prue, always organised and responsible. She had to be she was the older sister. "I haven't been back for five minutes and already you're raiding my wardrobe!" She joked, turning around to see a not so amused face on her younger sister. "I'm just kidding. It's over there." She pointed towards the wardrobe and continued to get ready. "I've miss this when I'm in San Francisco. You taking my clothes, me searching frantically for them only to find that you've gone out wearing them." She smiled into the mirror at Phoebe.

"Yes, it's not the same around here without you. Sure Paige, Piper and I have a lot of fun together, but it would be great if it was the 4 of us." Phoebe loved all of her sisters, she just wished that they all lived in the same city.

"Yeah, I really wanna get to know Paige better. You know, she came into our lives and then a little while later I moved away with dad. I just feel like you and Piper have got to bond with her more than I have. But hopefully I'm gonna change that, after she's my sister too right!" Prue took one last look in the mirror checking that she looked ok, and then grabbed her jacket ready to leave. "What did you need the top for anyways?" She asked as the two Halliwells walked towards her bedroom door.

"I'm having lunch with Cole!"

"Nice! Is everything going ok with you two?" Prue asked.

"It's going great." Phoebe replied a huge smiled spread across her face. The same thing happened everytime she gushed about her boyfriend, or even just thought about him. "Where are you going?"

Prue hesitated. She wasn't quite sure what she was going to do when she got there, she thought she would just figure it all out as she went along. "I'm going to see Andy. I miss him you know, so I'm just gonna go an see what happens!"

Phoebe gave her sister a side hug, kissing her on the side of the head. "Go get him!" She smiled as Prue walked away from her leaving her to get ready for her own date.

Sydney had been lazing around the house ever since Danny had left. She was bored and didn't know what to do with herself. Vaughn was off playing hockey with Weiss, Piper was probably still at Leo's, Francie had mentioned something about going shopping with Will and she had no idea where her other friends where. _I still haven't told anybody about Danny and me. What if he's already told them? _Sydney pushed all the negative thoughts out of her head and decided that she would go for a walk in the park, after all it was a nice sunny day.

She grabbed her keys and headed towards the near by park.

"Weiss why are we walking through the park?" Vaughn was totally confused, he thought that they were going to see a movie but right now they were strolling through the crowded park. The hot weather had obviously attracted them, but what he couldn't quite figure out was what had attracted him and Weiss to the park.

Weiss started laughing hysterically at Vaughn who remained confused. "You haven't lived in LA for long so I suppose I can let you off!" Weiss chuckled. "We're taking a short cut. Trust me you don't want to be walking down the streets of LA on a Sunday afternoon, especially when the weather's like this! Besides walking through the park is much nicer than walking along the busy streets." Weiss informed him.

Vaughn continued to observe the people around him, but then his thoughts turned to Sydney, and he started to wish that she was there walking through the park with him, holding his hand sharing meaningless chit chat. His daydream was interrupted by the sound of Weiss screaming as he was chased by this small, barking sausage dog.

Sydney slowly strolled through the park, looking around at all the people. It was a lovely day to be in the park, which is why she wasn't surprised that there were a lot of people there. It kinda made her wish that she was walking through the park with someone, obviously not Danny, and judging from what happened that morning she doubted whether or not he would ever speak to her again. Then her thoughts drifted to Vaughn. She could imagine his playing hockey looking incredibly hot in his hockey shirt with Weiss by his side cracking sarcastic jokes. She was drawn away from her thoughts by the sound of someone screaming, sounding as though they were in danger. She looked around but she couldn't see anybody who looked like they were in danger, but several people were looking around searching for the mystery screamer.

_This is ridiculous!_ Prue silently cursed herself as she walked around the block for the third time. She had walked up to Andy's house about half an hour ago, but she couldn't quite bring herself to knock. _What am I supposed to say: 'hey Andy remember me? Your ex-girlfriend who broke up with you because she moved away. Well guess what I'm back so do you wanna go on a date or something?' _Sighing as she passed his house yet again, Prue laughed at how stupid she was being. It wasn't like they had ended on bad terms, and they still spoke on the phone every now and again. So why was she making such a big deal out of it?

She walked quickly around the block this time determined that this would be the time that she walked up to the front door.

Taking a deep breath, Prue headed up the driveway. There was a car parked near to the garage, evidence that at least somebody was home. Wishing that the lump in her throat would disappear, she knocked twice on the front door, and then took a seat on the porch swing while she waited for somebody to answer.

After what seemed like minutes, somebody came out. "Prue?" Prue looked towards the door to see Andy standing in the doorway smiling warningly at her.

"Hey Andy!" She stood up and smiled back at him, her nerves suddenly going away.

He walked towards her and embraced her in a hug. He had missed her so much when she left not just as a girlfriend but as a friend. "It's great to see you again!" He said into her hair.

Standing with her arms wrapped around him, all of her feelings for him came rushing back, making her wonder how she could have possibly left. "Yeah it's great seeing you again too."

Vaughn couldn't contain his laughter anymore. The sight of Weiss running all over the park screaming his head off was just too much to handle. Leaning on a tree Vaughn doubled over, trying his hardest to stop laughing so that he could breathe. He looked over at Weiss to see him hiding behind another tree as the dog's owner came and retrieved the Eric's new canine friend. Once the dog was a far distance away from him, Weiss came out from behind the tree and headed over to Vaughn.

"Thanks for helping me man!" He said harshly to his friend, who was still having fits of laughter.

"I have to ask, why were you screaming at a dog? I thought you were a dog person...haven't you got a dog called Alan or something?" Michael asked as his laughter died down.

They carried on walking through the park as Weiss answered Vaughn's question. "Yes I have a dog. It's just that little dog's they scare me, they always seem to chase after me, like you've just seen." Weiss's heart was pounding in his chest as he relived the experience. Vaughn laughed again and then patted him on the back.

Looking infront of him, Vaughn saw somebody that he thought he recognised. _Wait, that can't be Sydney can it?_ He wondered to himself. "Is that Sydney?" Weiss followed his gaze and confirmed that it was Syd.

"Hey!" Vaughn said as they caught up to her. Looking like she was deep in thought it took her a minute to respond. "Oh hey you guys!" She smiled at them both and she couldn't help but notice how cute Vaughn looked. But what she didn't know was that Vaughn was thinking the exact same think about her. "Did you guys have fun playing hockey?" She asked, playing with the bracelet on her wrist.

"Yeah it was great!"

"Yeah it was fun, but the best part has got to be when the sausage dog started chasing Weiss!"

Weiss chose to ignore his comment as his eyes focused on an ice cream truck that had pulled over in the park. "Oooooo ice-cream!" His eyes lit up at the thought of a cone filled with chocolate ice cream. "You guys want?" He asked as he started to walk towards the truck, not quite caring about their answers.

"He got chased by a dog?" Sydney asked feeling disappointed that she had missed that.

"Yeah and then he started screaming and running about to get away from it. I've never laughed so much in my life!" Sydney felt as though her heart skipped a beat as she glanced at his smile. _God his smile is perfect!_

"Did everything go ok with Danny this morning?" They started to walk towards Weiss who was standing in the ice cream queue like a five-year-old.

"Yeah I guess, it wasn't exactly the world's easiest break up but it's over now. Time for me to move on!" She smiled at him. "But thanks for sticking up for me this morning."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "Anytime!" They smiled at each other as Eric walked over to them carrying a huge ice cream cone.

"So Sydney what you doing this afternoon?" Weiss asked in-between bites of his ice cream.

"Nothing much really. I was bored sitting around the house so I thought I'd come for a walk to clear my head." She was watching Weiss eat his way through the ice cream, each bite bringing a smile to his face.

"Hey, why don't you come the cinema with us. Weiss will have his food for company, and I'm guessing it would be difficult to try and get between them..." Weiss glared at Vaughn but then turned his attention back to the frozen heaven that he had in his hands.

"Sure why not!" She smiled at them both, and then they walked towards the cinema as Vaughn filled Syd in on the whole dog fiasco.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Prue and Andy had been sitting on the porch for the last twenty minutes. They had been talking about old times and the things that had happened since Prue had left. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even notice Andy's parents come out to the porch.

They both greeted Prue who greeted them back. "Andy, your father and I are going out for the afternoon. I've left some food in the oven for your dinner. I knew you had company so I've made enough for both of you!" Andy blushed at his mom's not too subtle hint at trying to get Prue to stay for dinner. He thanked her for the kind gesture and then they both left.

"So I guess we've gathered that you can stay for dinner!" Andy joked making Prue smile. "So how long are you staying in the city for?" He asked her. He remembered the day that she came to tell him that she was moving away. It almost broke his heart.

"To be honest, I don't know yet. Could be a couple of weeks, months, maybe even permanently." She looked around her at the neighbourhood where Andy lived. He used to live next door to her when they were kids, but when they were 10 the Truddeau family moved a couple of blocks away. Apparently the house was better than the one they had, but Prue preferred the one next to hers. "Don't get me wrong, I love living in San Francisco, but I miss my sisters, my mom, Grams, my friends...you." The last part was more of a whisper but Andy still heard what she said.

"I've missed you too!" He smiled as he stood up. "I have an idea, how about we go and have dinner now, and then afterwards we can go some place special. Ok?" Prue nodded as she stood up, knowing exactly the place that he was talking about.

"So what movie do you guys want to see?" Vaughn asked as the three of them stood outside the cinema looking the choices of films available. Eric groaned as he saw what films where there; Shrek 2, Mean Girls, Notebook, Raising Helen, the only action film, or any film that couldn't be counted as a chick flick started over an hour ago.

"Dude," Eric took Vaughn aside thinking that Sydney couldn't hear him. "You do realise that all of those films are chick flicks, don't you?" Vaughn looked at the board displaying the films to find that Eric was right, chick flicks were playing all afternoon. "No body said anything about coming to see a chick flick!" Weiss informed him. The only girly film that he had ever watched was 'City of Angels' and that was only because his mom had insisted that they watched it. After watching that he made a pact that he wouldn't put himself through the torture that was a chick flick.

"I can see that Eric!" Vaughn laughed at his friend's panic.

Sydney could hear what they were saying but she wasn't the least surprised. Whenever she asked Danny if they could watch any romantic film he would always make up some lame excuse to get out of it. _So why should now be any different._

"What is it with you guys and chick flicks? We have to sit and watch films packed with guns, car chases, and guy stuff like that. So why is it that you guys can never spend two hours watching a romantic comedy?" She asked Eric, who slightly amazed that she had heard him. He paused for a moment trying to find an answer to give her.

"Because, at least with the films we watch the story is completely different. I mean with your films, the plot is always the same. Its girl meets guy; guy falls for girl who nine times out of ten already has a boyfriend. Then comes the angst and the girl realises that she likes the guy too, but she's stuck in a relationship. And then finally ladies and gentlemen, the big finale," He waved his hands in the air making a big gesture that attracted some people walking past. "Guy gets the girl and they live happily ever after! See it's always the same." Weiss leaned on the wall of the cinema content with the answer he had given her. The look on Sydney's face was priceless.

"Ok, so you're saying for a film to be good, there has to be meaningless car chases that are not even relevant to the plot, guns or some sort of violence, and then the hero of the film has to sleep with the first woman that he meets. Is that what your saying?" Sydney rested her hands on her hips, making her look like she shouldn't be messed with.

Vaughn didn't know which side to take, as both of his friends had a good point. So he decided that he would just stay out of this one and let Eric dig himself out of the whole that he had dug.

"Er...pretty much yeah!" Weiss informed her, smiling cutely. Sydney sighed. This was one fight that neither of them were going to win, and they both knew it.

"Ok, so now that the discussion is over, are we seeing a chick flick or not?" Vaughn asked, standing between the two of them. Sydney looked at Weiss with puppy dog eyes trying so hard not to laugh. Vaughn picked up on what she was doing and he joined in. So Weiss was forced to look at the pair of them pulling sad puppy dog eyes. "Cute!" He said sarcastically as a small smile curved the edges of his mouth. He would have to break his pact and fold.

"Fine!" He gave in. "But the pair of you owe me, and I mean OWE me. I'm talking popcorn, nachos, candy. You name it...I'll eat it. Deal?" Sydney walked over to him and looped her arm in his, leading him towards the door. Shooting an amused look at Vaughn who just shook his head and laughed at Weiss's funny demands. "Deal!" She agreed as they bought their tickets to see Mean Girls.

"Where do you wanna go for dinner?" Phoebe asked wrapping her arms around Cole's neck, hugging him from behind.

"Yeah about that. I have a surprise waiting for you."

"For me? What is it?" Phoebe asked eagerly jumping up and down.

"I'm not telling you that because then it wouldn't be a surprise!" He turned around and kissed her before taking her hand and leading her into the garden. "Voila." He waved his hands infront of him.

Phoebe stared in disbelief. Layed out under the big oak tree in Cole's garden was a chequered picnic blanket accompanied by a wicker blanket. The basket was so full of food that the lid wouldn't close. "You did all of this?" She asked as Cole put his arm around her pulling her towards him, causing her arm to automatically wrap around his waist.

"Well instead of going out somewhere, I thought we could have lunch à la Cole." They laughed as they walked towards the array of food.

"I can't believe you did all this." Phoebe took a seat on the blanket, Cole sitting next to her. _He certainly is the best boyfriend!_

"You're worth it." He smiled charmingly at her and took out some of the food from the blanket. "Now let's eat this!"

After buying the cinema ticket, Weiss made a pit stop to get some snacks to eat during the movie. Sydney and Vaughn stood waiting for him as he tried to make his mind up about what he wanted to eat. "Weiss are you sure you're gonna eat all of that?" Vaughn asked as his friend walked up to the cashier with a jumbo sized bucket of popcorn, a tray of nachos and a bag full of sweets that he had randomly picked.

"Of course. And besides I've got you two with me. This food's not gonna last a minute!" He smiled at them both as Sydney came up to him and stole a hand full of popcorn. "Too right!" She stated as she started to eat the sweet snack.

They finally left the refreshment stall behind them and went in search of some seats. The lights were already dimmed and adverts were playing on the giant silver screen. Weiss and Sydney followed Vaughn as he made his way down the aisle looking for three empty seats. Looking around the cinema Weiss noted that the majority of the people in there were female, with a couple of unfortunate guys who had been dragged along by their girlfriends. And here he was with his friend, and his friend's possible new girlfriend. Anybody else would have felt like a gooseberry, but at least he had this big stack of food to keep him company.

Sydney ended up sitting in the middle of the two guys which was a good thing as each time the popcorn got passed to Vaughn and then back to Weiss she had easy access to the bucket. "Sydney, if this film turns out to be a load of romantic rubbish, I mean it this bucket of popcorn will become your new hair accessory! Got it?" Weiss tried his best to act tough, as though he would actually dump the popcorn on her head. But both him and Sydney knew that he was only bluffing, even the people sitting behind them who were listening into their conversation knew that he wouldn't do that. The truth was that Eric Weiss was too much of a sweet person to do something like that.

"Whoa, the true side of Eric Weiss is finally revealed!" Sydney mocked him. "But I hope that you've got that bucket in a different colour because that one will so not go with my outfit!" Vaughn couldn't help but laugh at her witty comeback, it even left Eric speechless.

"We'll see Bristow. We'll see." Syd and Vaughn laughed while Eric tried to pretend that she hadn't just got one over on him.

They were half way through the movie. Sydney was enjoying and Vaughn didn't seem to be that bored. Weiss kept whispering to Sydney that he didn't like it but then everytime she turned around his eyes were glued to the screen. _Typical guy pretends not to like something so as not to ruin his image, but it's all a big front!_

Sydney saw Vaughn's arm leaning on the chair rest, his hand loosely hanging off the edge. She carefully slid her hand underneath his, enclosing her fingers around his. He was surprised at first he hadn't expected her to do that. But after she had, he responded by gently entwining their fingers together. They looked at each other and smiled warmingly and then went back to watching the film.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Weiss had to admit to that he was enjoying the film. It wasn't the greatest film that he had ever watched, but it definitely wasn't the worst. He took another handful of popcorn and was about to ask his friends if they wanted any when something caught his eye. Sitting in the seat next to him was Sydney Bristow holding hands with Michael Vaughn. _HOLDING HANDS!!!_ _How could I have missed this?_ He smiled as he turned his attention back to the big screen.

Syd was trying her best to watch the film, but her thoughts kept drifting to a certain somebody who was sitting next to her. Their hands were still locked together and Vaughn was gently stroking her thumb with his own. Sydney thought about the move that she had made by holding his hand; was it simply an act of friendship or was it her way of telling him that she wanted to be something more?

Vaughn looked like he was watching the film, but the reality was he concentration had been diverted the minute Sydney had slid her hand into his. Even though he wasn't entirely sure what Syd's gesture meant, he was still glad that she had made it. Her hand seemed to fit perfectly in his, that it felt so right that he should be the one holding it.

Prue sat in Andy's house, eating the dinner that his mother had left for them and sharing light conversation with one of her closest friends. She had told him all about San Francisco and the new friends that she had made there while he filled her in on all the latest goings on with her other friends.

"Ok, so let me get this straight..." Prue couldn't believe how much information her sisters hadn't shared with her. "This new guy Michael something, is now close friends with Sydney, and I take it Danny's not too happy about it." Andy nodded. "Yeah, figures. Danny was always the jealous type. So are Danny and Sydney still together?"

"We'll let's just say that Danny hasn't exactly made it easy for them to be friends. They keep arguing all the time, but as far as I know they are still going out with each other!" Andy shrugged. "So you ready to go?" He asked standing up.

"Sure!" Prue replied as they both walked out of the front door.

The movie quickly ended causing Sydney and Vaughn to reluctantly stop holding hands as they walked out of the cinema. Weiss smiled as he watched the interaction between these two, it just screamed out how much they liked each other. They walked out of the cinema laughing and talking. Anybody could see how comfortable they were around each other.

"So Weiss, what did you think of the film?" Sydney teased knowing that he did, but not quite sure whether he would openly admit it. Weiss looked down at the floor as he quickly tried to think of something to say.

"It was ok I guess. But the ending was the same as any other chick flick...the guy got the girl!" Weiss smiled, knowing that he finally made his point about chick flicks, but Sydney and Vaughn didn't seem to be listening to him.

"Yeah he definitely did!" Sydney said looking over at Vaughn, finally giving him confirmation about what her gesture meant. He smiled at her, and looking into his deep green eyes, Syd could tell that he understood what she meant. Weiss simply rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I best get going, my mom will be back soon!" Sydney smiled at them both. "Thanks for today you guys, I had a lot of fun!"

"What that's it! Come on you're leaving...give me a little sugar!" Weiss opened his arms for Sydney to hug him. She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, enveloping him into a hug. "You enjoyed the film I can tell!" Syd whispered into his ear. As they pulled apart Weiss looked at her questioningly. "Don't worry, you're secret's safe with me!" She winked at him before turning to Vaughn. She took hold of his hand and led him away so that Weiss couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Listen...I know I've said this before, but thanks for the past few days. I don't know what I would have done without you!" She lifted her hand and gently stroked the side of his face. The touch of her hand on his face sending shivers down his spine.

"You don't have to thank me Syd. I'll always gonna be here for you!" Her dark brown eyes captured his own, making it impossible for him to break eye contact with her.

The gap between them slowly closed. Sydney put her arms around his neck forcing his lips to meet hers. Vaughn placed his hands on her hips, pulling her towards him, while Syd played with the hair on the back of his neck.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 

Vaughn moved his hands from her hips to her back, making Sydney feel even safer than she already did in his embrace. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, deepening the kiss. They were both so lost in the moment that they forgot that Weiss was standing only a couple of feet away watching them. They both broke apart slightly breathless, Vaughn resting his forehead against hers. "I really should get going..."

"Ok." Vaughn kissed the tip of her nose. "Is there any chance that I can see you later?" He smiled shyly as he waited for her answer.

"I'm sure something can be arranged!" She mirrored his smile as she answered him. She gave him a final kiss before stepping away from the comfort and security that being in his arms bought to her. "I'll see you later!" She said to him before shouting goodbye to Weiss.

Vaughn stood and watched her walk away; already counting down the hours until her could see her again, even though he wasn't quite sure when that would be. Standing by his side, Weiss waited for Vaughn to tear his eyes away from his new love interest. He patted him on the back, bringing him back to reality. "Come on Romeo!"

Prue linked her arm through Andy's as they walked. His smile was enough to confirm to her that he didn't mind. He wasn't entirely sure what as going to happen between them, but he knew how much he loved Prue. He had let her walk out of his life once; he wasn't willing to let her do it again. They walked in comfortable silence until they arrived to their chosen destination. They ended up in the park, sitting on an old swing, which was suspended from an old oak tree.

It was here that they had their first date over two years ago, which was followed by their first kiss. Ever since then this spot had become their special place, where they could meet whenever they wanted to be alone, away from everybody else.

Taking a seat, Prue looked around the park. The sun was getting lower in the sky, making it the perfect setting for couples who came to spend some time with each other. "I've missed this place!"

"Yeah me too! I haven't been back here since the day you left."

Prue covered his hand with hers, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Well I'm back now! And I'm thinking that I might move back to LA. Spending the day with you reminded me of how everything used to be. Everything's different back there, I don't have my sisters, my friends...my boyfriend." She was shocked to see that he looked quite surprised by her statement.

"You don't have a boyfriend in San Francisco?" Andy asked. Prue looked down at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with him as she answered his question.

"Let's just say it's hard to find a boyfriend, when your heart belongs to somebody else." She finally made eye contact with him, deciding that his reaction to her answer would give her some indication about how he still felt about her. Andy had always been a strong believer that actions spoke louder than words, and now seemed like the perfect time to practice that.

He slowly leant over to kiss her, his hands resting either side of her face. Prue wasn't expecting him to do this, but she wasn't exactly one to complain when the guy that she was in love with kissed her. Andy pulled back, wrapping his arms around her waist, her hands resting on his arms. "Well, that somebody who your heart belongs to...you may find that their heart belonged to you a long time ago!" He replied his voice only as loud as a whisper. Prue smiled as she thought about what he had said. She put her head in the crook of his neck and sat there, watching the sun go down on the park, Andy's arms wrapped tightly around her.

Irina got home from her trip earlier than she had expected. She took her bags out of the trunk of the car and walked up the driveway to find Jack Bristow knocking on the front door. He was totally oblivious to her arrival so she stood there for a couple of minutes watching as he knocked and eagerly waited for somebody to answer. Finally Irina cleared her throat, startling Jack slightly.

"Irina! I didn't know you were there!" Jack displayed his usual poker face no sign of emotion showing through as he tried to cover up the shock that his ex-wife had given him.

"So I noticed!" Irina replied, searching through her purse for her house keys. Jack noticed the bags that Irina had placed next to the door and wondered where she had been. He remembered Sydney saying something about her going away but he couldn't quite remember where she had gone. "You have a nice trip?" He asked, nodding towards her luggage.

"Yes thanks. We had a great time!" She finally found her keys and opened the front door. Placing her bags in the hallway she turned to Jack who was still standing outside. "Are you going to come in, or shall we stand on the doorstep all night?" She asked sarcastically, earning her a Jack Bristow glare as he walked into the house.

"I only came to see Sydney. I haven't seen her since she came over for dinner last week and I just wanted to see if she wanted to hang out or something. Is she home?" Jack crossed his arms around his chest waiting for her answer, only he wasn't quite prepared for the funny mood Irina was in. Recently their conversations had become more sarcastic, neither of them meant it to be, it was just something that they had gotten used to.

"Do you see her here?" Irina replied as she sorted through the mail that Sydney had left in the hall.

"Well, if you're going to be like that..." Jack turned to go. "Tell Sydney that I was here."

"No, Jack stay. Come on, I'll be nice I promise!" The truth was Irina missed Jack, although she wouldn't openly admit it. Jack turned back round to face her, giving her a like-you-could-be-nice look. Irina rolled her eyes. "Ok, I'll _try _to be nice! I have some wine in the fridge, it would give us a chance to catch up?"

Jack finally broke his famous poker face, opting to replace it with a small subtle smile. "I'd like that!"


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Jack was sitting comfortably on the couch as Irina walked into the living room with two empty glasses and a bottle of wine. Taking a seat next to him, she handed him the glass and poured the wine into it. The stereo was playing one of Irina's favourite Russian Operas, the music soothing the atmosphere making both of them more relaxed.

"The wine's nice!" Jack commented as he took a sip from his glass.

Irina smiled. "Thanks, I picked it up over the summer when I went to Italy!" She too took a sip of her drink, looking over the rim at Jack._ Those black trousers and blue shirt make him look handsome. _Irina mentally kicked herself for thinking like that. _Jack and I are over, end of story..._

"Do you remember that summer when we went to that villa in Southern Italy?" Jack smiled as Irina nodded. Before Sydney was born, Irina and Jack used to travel a lot, spending weeks at a time in one place. Their favourite place to visit was Italy, there was just something about that country that they both fell in love with. But ever since they broke up, Jack hadn't returned to Italy; it brought back too many memories of what he had lost.

"Yes of course I remember! We stayed in your brother's villa, and then we met Arvin and Emily who were staying next door to us. Who would have known that we would have stayed friends with them all this time!" Emily had become one of Irina's best friends, Sydney also considered her to be like a second mother to her, she was practically part of the family. "You remember the dinner parties that we used to have nearly every week?"

"How could I forget them! I'll always remember that time when Emily and Arvin were coming over, and you were busy making the potatoes, so you asked me to put the chicken in the oven. I thought you had already switched the oven on, so I didn't bother to check I just placed it in there! And then when we came to get it out, we were stuck with a 5lb uncooked chicken! I've never seen Arvin look so shocked when he only got half of his meal!" They could no longer control their laughter as that certain memory came back to them. Irina had tears rolling down her cheeks, and Jack was finding it difficult to breathe.

Finally regaining her composure, Irina continued with the conversation. "I think that was the last time I ever asked you to help me in the kitchen!"

Jack's laughter stopped and he took on a more serious face. "Wait...that's why you wouldn't let me near the kitchen whenever you were cooking?" Irina nodded. "So every Thanksgiving when I offered to help you with the meal, and you would tell me to go and watch the parade with Sydney, you didn't really want me to watch it. You just wanted me away from the food?"

Irina's smile grew. "Ok, I admit it! Every year I would tell you to watch the parade, even though I knew you didn't like it, because I didn't want the turkey to end up the way the chicken was. But don't feel bad, I'm sure the chicken incident could have happened to any of us!" Irina tried her hardest to make him smile again, but his straight face didn't seem to want to move.

"Yeah right, like you're capable of ruining anything." Jack replied sarcastically, trying his hardest not to laugh. Irina laughed and found herself jokingly agreeing with him.

"Ok, so maybe it couldn't have happened to all of us!" The laughter died down as they both drank some more wine.

"So where did you go for the weekend?" Jack poured himself another drink.

Irina propped her head up with her arm, which was resting on the back of the couch.

"A spa just outside of LA. I go with a couple of old friends every few weeks, it gives us the chance to catch up on everything and just hang out!" She smiled, thinking about the fun that she had had with her friends. Jack remembered how Irina had always loved going to the spa, even back when they were married.

"So, how are things going with Ann Barnley? Sydney said that she seemed nice!" Irina asked him, her tone not too pleasant. She knew fairly well that Sydney didn't approve of his new 'friend', but Jack was totally oblivious to this.

"It's Anna Barnett..." He stated, flashing her a Bristow glare.

"Whatever!" Irina rolled her eyes and gulped down some more wine, not even bothering to apologise for her error. "So what's the deal with you two?"

"We are friends, there's nothing more to it!" Irina nodded and poured herself some more wine. She wasn't entirely sure why she was so interested in his love life...after all she had no right to be; she gave that right up five years ago when they broke up. Jack looked at her questioningly, wondering what was with the sudden interest in who he dated. Things hadn't worked out between him and Anna; it was never going to be anything serious. But after Sydney had come to diner with him and Anna, he had realised just how wrong she was for him. So they had decided to just be friends, although he had a feeling that that would never happen.

"Oh." Irina didn't know what else to say, but thankfully Sydney walked in and interrupted the awkwardness which had filled the room. She stopped in the doorway and was shocked to see her parents in the same room, and it looked like they were actually getting along with one another. "Hi." Irina could hear the surprise in her daughter's voice, which made her smile.

"Hey honey. Your father and I were just catching up. Do you want to join us?" Irina asked putting down her glass and walking towards her daughter.

"No, I just came back to check that you got back ok from your trip, and obviously you have! So I'm gonna go and see Vaughn, if that's ok?" Irina hugged her daughter.

"That's fine! Have fun, but remember you have school tomorrow so don't be coming home too late."

"Yeah, don't you two forget that you have classes to teach in the morning!" Sydney glanced at the bottle of wine, which was now nearly empty. Her mom followed her gaze and smiled shyly.

"Bye mom! Bye dad!" Sydney called out as she walked out of the door.

"Who is Vaughn?" Jack asked curiously. Irina rolled her eyes and sighed. Jack was always disapproving of his daughter's choice of friends, he would always say that they weren't good enough for her, but Irina knew that this wasn't true.

"He's a friend of hers." Jack opened his mouth to question her further, but Irina stopped him. "Drink some more wine Jack!" Her tone telling him that he should listen to her and not object.

Piper and Paige sat on the couch laughing and joking when Phoebe walked in from the kitchen carrying a tube of ice cream and three spoons. "All I could find was chocolate!" She said innocently as she sandwiched herself between her two sisters and gave them a spoon each.

"So how did lunch with Cole go?" Paige asked as she ate a spoonful of ice cream. Phoebe couldn't help but smile, which didn't go unnoticed by her sisters.

"It was lovely. He made us a picnic, which we ate, in his garden. It was just so romantic, and then after we finished we just sat there all afternoon. I'm telling you, that guy is amazing." Phoebe thought herself as being lucky for having such a wonderful boyfriend. Piper and Paige smiled at each other; they loved seeing Phoebe happy like this.

"That's great Pheebs!" Paige hugged her old sister. She wished that she had a boyfriend who was as great as Cole was for Phoebe, or that Leo was for Piper. She tried not think about how she was the only one of her friends who was still single, but Phoebe always comforted her by saying that soon she would find that perfect guy who would sweep her off her feet. "So did you guys have fun at the party last night?"

"Yeah it was great!" Piper and Phoebe answered in unison. They both laughed at how they had said the same thing at the same time. They definitely had spent too much time together; but that was always a good thing.

"Everybody seemed to have a good time, well except for Danny. He's been acting really strange these past couple of days, no wonder Syd's been hanging out with Michael. Having to put up with Danny's moaning would be enough to drive anyone insane!" Phoebe rolled her eyes and took another bite of ice cream. The sound of the door grabbed everybody's attention. Prue walked into the living room, smiling at them all.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" She asked as she took her shoes off and sat on the edge of the coffee table.

"We were just eating some ice cream and gossiping! Come on, I wanna hear about what happened with Andy..." Piper took Prue's hand and pulled her towards the couch, making them all laugh at how squashed they were, but no one was bothered. They were all too eager to find out what went on with Andy.

Sydney had absolutely no idea where Vaughn lived, but luckily Weiss didn't live far from her house so she had gone there first and asked for his address. Weiss had been happy to help her, and soon she was on the way to Michael's house. Spending all that time with Weiss, Sydney regretted that she hadn't become friends with him earlier. They had known each other for years but they had never really had a proper conversation until Vaughn had came to LA. And now that she was friends with Weiss, she decided that she was going to keep it that way, no matter what her friends might say.

Vaughn was sat at home watching the Kings game that was on the TV. He has thought about calling Weiss to come over to watch it with him, but then he kept thinking about Sydney saying that he could see her later. So he never called Weiss in the end. A knock on the front door distracted him from the game, and as there was no one else in the house he had to answer it.

"Hi!" Sydney greeted him as he opened the door. He looked quite surprised to see her, but his smile told her that he was happy that she had came. Sydney noticed that he had changed out of his hockey clothes, and was now wearing black combat pants and a black T-shirt.

"Hey!" Sydney took a step towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Did you miss me?" She asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah I did!" He put his arms around her waist, and found himself getting lost in her eyes. "I'm glad you're here!"

"Me too." She smiled at him, and then leant up and kissed him gently on the lips.

"You want to come inside?" He asked, his arms still around her waist. She nodded and the two of them walked inside the house. Looking around Sydney could see that Vaughn's house was roughly the same size as her mother's, and considering they hadn't been in LA for long; the house was already decorated and furnished. "Nice house!" Sydney commented, as she turned to face him.

"Thanks! It's not usually this quiet but my dad has taken my mom out to dinner."

The sound of hundreds of fans screaming startled them both, causing them to turn to the game, which Vaughn had forgotten to turn off. Sydney's smile grew as she grabbed Vaughn's hand and led him to the couch to watch the game, where they sat side by side. The Kings scored again, and a smiling Sydney turned to Vaughn to comment on the score, but as she went to speak he kissed her.

She kissed him back, as his hands rested gently on the small of her back. She ran her hands through his hair, enjoying the fact that she could be so close to him without having to worry about Danny. The need for air got the better of him, causing him to break the kiss.

"I've wanted to do that ever since we walked through the door!" He told her, lifting his hand to wipe a strand of hair out of her face.

"I'm surprised that you waited as long as you did!" She replied, pulling his T-shirt to get him closer to her.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"I'm surprised that you waited as long as you did!" She replied, pulling his T-shirt to get him closer to her. As their lips met again, Sydney slowly lay back on the couch, bringing Vaughn down on top of her. His hands were placed on her hips, his fingers tracing patterns over her skin. The gentle touch of his hands on her skin sent shivers up her spine. She ran her hand through his hair; the other patted along the couch looking for the remote. Finally her hands landed on it, enabling her to turn off the screaming fans on the TV. After a few minutes Vaughn pulled away from her, slightly out of breath.

"Syd?" He said, his voice barely about a whisper, his forehead creased with wrinkles.

"Yeah?"

Vaughn knew that he had to ask her, whether he would like the answer or not. "Are you sure this is what you want? I mean, you and Danny only broke up this morning, I don't want to force you into anything."

She smiled at him, amazed at how much he cared about her even though they had only been friends for nearly a week. "Vaughn, Danny and I have been over for a long time, but he just didn't want to admit it. And besides I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be!" She traced the outline of his lips with her finger, and then her hand rested under his chin, guiding him back to capture her lips again.

Laughter was all that could be heard as Patty walked into the living room of the Manor. She smiled as she watched all her girls laughing and talking on the couch. The sight of them all together again was too much for Patty as she found a small tear rolling down her cheek. When Prue moved to the city with Victor, Patty had missed her so much, and it was clear that her sisters had missed having her around aswell. Wiping the tear away she walked towards her daughters, noticing how happy they all looked.

"Hey mom!" They all said in unison.

"Hi! Have you all forgot that thing you have tomorrow…oh what do they call it?" She paused, acting like she couldn't remember what she was talking about. "Oh yeah that's right, school!" The girls laughed at her humoured way for telling them to go to bed. Phoebe rolled her eyes as she got off the couch, offering her hand to help pull Paige up.

"Night mom!" Phoebe kissed Patty on the cheek, and waited until Paige had hugged her mother and then the two of them walked slowly up the stairs.

"It's great to have you back Prue!" Patty hugged her eldest daughter, kissing her lightly on the forehead. Piper joined the hug, as she said goodnight to her mom.

"I'm glad to be back!" Prue smiled, taking hold of Piper's hand and they ran up the stairs to catch up with their other two sisters.

"Paige can we talk for a minute?" Prue asked when they finally caught up with them. Paige looked a little worried but she agreed. Piper and Phoebe looked at each other, each searching for some clue about what Prue wanted to say. Realising that it obviously had nothing to do with them, they said goodnight to Prue and Paige and left them in the doorway. Prue followed her sister into her room and sat on the bed.

"Prue, if this is about your room, I've been thinking that I can move into the guest room down the hall and you can have your room back…" Paige was cut off by Prue's laughter.

"No honey, it's not about the room. I'm perfectly fine in the guest room, this is your room now, I want you to keep it." She smiled at her younger sister, watching as the expression on Paige's face changed quickly from worried to confused. "Look, when we first found out that we had another sister, the three of us, we were thrilled. But shortly after that I moved away and Piper and Phoebe got to know you better than I did. I've seen how close you three are, and I regret that I moved away before I got the chance to get to know my younger sister. I know we spoke on the phone and saw each other when I came back to visit, but it's just not the same. I hardly know you, I mean how strange is that…I hardly know my own sister!" Prue sighed, and Paige came and sat next to her on the bed.

Paige had been really nervous when Prue came back. Before they found out that they had sisters, it had always just been Prue, Piper, and Phoebe - the three of them. But then Paige had joined the family and it became the four of them; the four P's, as Grams always liked to call them. Then Prue had moved away and it had been the three of them again, making Paige feel this obligation to be as great as Prue was. She always had this fear deep down that the Halliwells would never accept her as their sister, but the whole family made her feel welcome, like she had lived in the Manor her whole life.

Listening to Prue tell her how she regretted that she had never had the chance to bond properly with her, like Phoebe and Piper had, put the rest of Paige's fears aside. She smiled, relief taking over her. "I know what you mean. I spent most of my life thinking I was an only child, and then I found out about you guys and everything changed. I've loved getting to know Piper and Phoebe they've made me feel so welcome and wanted. They're not just my sisters; they're also my best friends. I've always wished that we had gotten the chance to become friends before you moved to San Francisco." Paige felt a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders as she opened up to Prue.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you. How about some day this week we hang out just the two of us, and I can finally get to know my baby sister?" Prue asked her, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'd like that!" Paige said in her usual bubbly voice.

"Yeah?"

Yeah!"

"Ok. I better get to bed before mom or Grams find me!" They both laughed, thinking about what Grams would say if she found that they were still up late on a school night. Sometimes she forgot just how old they were, but they had given up trying to get her to let them stay up late. Prue hugged Paige and then fought back a yawn as she walked towards the door. "Goodnight sis!"

"Night Prue!"

Vaughn planted kisses across her face, and then he slowly made his way down her neck. Sydney couldn't help but laugh as his kisses began to tickle her neck. "Vaughn…" She laughed as she tried to grab his attention. He lifted his head up enough so that he could look at her face and see what she wanted.

"Yes?" He asked raising his eyebrow suspiciously at her. He tried to stop the laughter that was building up inside of him from getting out, as he realised exactly what he was doing to her. Sydney could see the mischief in his eyes, the small grin that was threatening to break out on his lips. She stroked his cheek watching as he smiled at her touch.

"You're tickling me!" She pouted as she looked at him innocently, trying to make him feel bad for tickling her, but that wasn't going to happen.

He let out a small chuckle. "It's all part of my master plan!" He lightly kissed the tip of her nose as he played along. The grandfather clock that was standing in the hallway interrupted them as it chimed the hour. Sydney sighed knowing that she would have to leave his warm embrace.

"Well, your master plan is going to have to be put on hold! I've gotta go." Vaughn nodded as he stood up, helping her to get off the couch. Neither of them wanted her to leave, it was written on both of their faces.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Vaughn asked, as he put his arm around her shoulders, walking her to the door.

"Thanks but I'll be fine." She reassured him. They both stood in silence in the doorway both thinking about how their lives had changed through the course of the day. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school?" Sydney asked, her arms loosely hanging around his neck.

"Yeah."

"Great!" Sydney whispered as she leant up and kissed him. "Goodnight Vaughn!" She reluctantly walked away from his house, leaving him watching her in the doorway.

Sydney walked into her house expecting to hear her mom and dad still talking in the living room, but the house was relatively quiet except for the frequent clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen. Walking into the kitchen, Sydney found Irina washing up the dishes that her and Jack had used.

"Hey mom." She opened the fridge and poured herself some orange juice into a glass.

"Hi sweetheart. Did you have fun at Michael's?" Irina finished putting the clean dishes away and turned to face her daughter, who was being to blush slightly.

"Yeah it was great. I'm going to go to bed!" She quickly rushed out of the kitchen wanting to avoid any of her mother's awkward questions. As she passed through the living room, a loud snore caused her to gasp slightly. Turning towards the couch, she found a passed out Jack Bristow laying there, loudly snoring.

"Er…mom. You might wanna come in here!" Irina quickly ran into the room, worried about what Sydney was talking about.

"What is it?" She asked, a worried expression covering her face.

"Why is my dad passed out on the couch?" She nodded towards the sleeping Bristow, as Irina sighed.

"We had a little too much to drink, and he couldn't exactly drive home." She shrugged. "So I said that he could stay here! It's not big deal…although he might feel a little ill in the morning!" She smiled shyly at her daughter. Sydney rolled her eyes and continued to walk upstairs to bed. "Tomorrow morning is gong to be awkward!" She said under her breath.

Irina waited until her daughter had gone to bed and then she sat on the coffee table opposite from Jack. She watched him sleep for a couple of minutes, the steady rise and fall of his chest telling her that he was having a peaceful dream. Leaning forward, she gently brushed his hair with her hand and then kissed him on the forehead. "Goodnight Jack!" Turning off the living room light she followed her daughter up the stairs and went to bed.


	19. chapter 18

**Hey! **

**i know i haven't updated in a while, but here's the next chapter. **

**anyways,if any of you wanna read therest of the chapters (so far i'm on 35 i think! :S)they are all over at SD-1 and AllAlias! :)**

**Chapter 18**

"Phoebe!" Piper yelled as she banged on the bathroom door trying to get her sister's attention. "Phoebe would you hurry up in there." The same thing happened every morning in the Halliwell Manor; Phoebe occupied the bathroom getting herself ready for school while her sisters, usually just Piper, waited impatiently on the other side of the door. They still had an hour before they had to be at school but Piper knew that if she didn't get Phoebe out of there soon then she would never get in the bathroom.

Prue was lying in bed, trying to ignore the fact that her alarm clock kept going off. She had already hit the snooze button six times already, but right now it wasn't the digital clock that was keeping her awake, it was the sound of Piper shouting and banging in the hall.

"What is with all the noise?" Prue asked, standing sleepily in the doorway. She had forgotten how hectic it could be of a morning in a house full of girls. In San Francisco it had just been her and her dad living in their apartment, and her father wasn't exactly the type that spent hours at a time in the bathroom.

Piper stopped her banging and stared at her sister. Prue had never been a morning person; her tone of voice and expression on her face was enough to prove this.

"Phoebe has been in the bathroom for half an hour already!" Piper ran her hand through her hair as she tried to calm herself down. "She seems to forget that she isn't the only person in this house!" She shouted the last part at the closed door, hoping that her younger sister would hear her. Prue rolled her eyes as the bathroom door slowly opened.

Phoebe stood in the doorway, a smile plastered on her face. She had spent her time showering and applying her make-up, just like she did every morning. "Morning sweetie!" She kissed her sister on the cheek, knowing that she was winding her up even more. Piper just glared at her and pushed her way into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

Prue laughed. "Does this happen every morning?" She rubbed her eyes, trying to make herself look and feel more alert.

"You could say that! Piper just gets a little territorial over the bathroom!" Phoebe joked. "But once she's been in there and had some breakfast, she forgives me. It's like a little routine we do. Are you coming to school today?" Phoebe asked as she followed Prue into her room where she was picking out an outfit to wear.

"Yeah. Mom phoned the school and they said that it would be ok if I went to my classes like I did before I moved away. So it looks like you're stuck with me sis." She playfully hugged her sister who was trying to get away from her.

"I'm going to get some breakfast. You want any?" Prue smiled and shook her head.

Irina walked into her kitchen, searching the cupboards for some aspirin. Since the moment she woke up, her head hurt and she felt a bit nauseous, but she knew that they would both go away once her hang over was gone. She could hear Sydney moving around upstairs, probably getting ready for school. Jack was still passed out on the couch, his snores could still be heard throughout the house. Irina knew that she should wake him soon so that he had time to get his head cleared before their classes started. She switched on the kettle and made her way into the living room.

She sat on the edge of the coffee table, just like she had the night before when she had told him goodnight. A smile covered her face as she watched him sleep, he looked so peaceful and innocent; which was nothing compared to what he could be like when he was awake.

"Jack?" She spoke softly knowing that talking loudly would only make his hang over worse. Her accent stood out in her voice, a clear reminder of her past. Jack moved slightly at the sound of her voice, but his eyes remained closed.

"Jack…" She reached out and gently shook his arm, hoping to snap him out of his dream. He grunted loudly as his eyes slowly began to open.

Staring at Irina for a minute, Jack tried to figure out where he was. He couldn't clearly remember what had happened the night before, but the fact that he was in Irina's house indicated that he must have had too much to drink.

Irina smiled at him, as he sat up nursing the pain in his head. "What time is it?" He asked wiping the remainder of sleep from his eyes.

"7:45" Irina informed him after looking down at her watch. Jack sighed, knowing that he had a full day of classes ahead of him.

"I've made you some coffee, it'll help to make you feel better." She walked into the kitchen to finish preparing the coffee.

Jack was overcome by a feeling of nausea as he stood up from the couch and staggered into the kitchen. Irina placed his coffee on the table and indicated for him to sit down. "I've got some aspirin if you need it!" He nodded his thanks to her and began to sip his beverage.

"Where's Sydney?" He asked, wondering just how awkward it would be when she came down.

"She's getting ready for school. She should be down any minute now for her breakfast." Irina could see the concerned look on his face. Jack Bristow was known for being a stern guy, who kept his emotions well hidden. He wasn't exactly the type of guy who would get drunk and end up passing out on his ex wife's couch, especially not with his daughter being in the same house. Irina knew that he was dreading Sydney seeing him there in the state that he was, little did he know that she had already seen him when she came home the night before.

A couple of minutes later Sydney walked down the stairs just as Irina had said. She stopped in the living room expecting to see her father still asleep on the couch, but it was empty except for the blanket, which had been discarded at the foot of the couch. She braced herself for the tense moments, which were to follow, as she walked into the kitchen. Jack took another sip of his drink.

"Morning Mom." She hugged her mother like she did every morning. "Dad." She smiled at him, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to take over her face. After all it wasn't every day that she got to see her father hung over.

Jack looked at his daughter, his poker face intact. "Good morning Sydney!" Silence took over the room, no one knowing what to say to make the situation any less awkward.

Sydney ate her breakfast quicker than usual, which didn't go unnoticed by Irina. It had been a long time since Sydney had woken up with both her parents in the same house, and Irina knew that all of this was a little too much for her.

"I'm going to go school now." She announced as she gathered her books and bags.

"Do you not want a lift?"

"No thanks mom. I might go over to Francie's and walk with her." She quickly said goodbye to them both and walked out of the door. She thought about the last 20 minutes; it definitely hadn't been as awkward as she thought it would be, but it was still strange seeing her dad sitting in their kitchen with her mother. Shaking all thoughts about her parents out of her head she made her way to Francie's house.

"So spill. What's the deal with you and Will?" Sydney asked smiling at her friend. Francie had agreed to walk to school with her, as it would give them the chance to catch up on everything.

Francie's face lit up. "I like him so much Syd. We're having so much fun together; he makes me happy everytime that we're together. I just can't believe that we didn't go out sooner!" Francie was still smiling as thoughts of Will filled her head. "How are things with you and Danny?" Francie linked her arm through Sydney's as they walked.

Sydney looked down at the floor, her eyes filling up with tears. "We broke up!" She said, her voice barely a whisper. Francie's mouth fell open as she put a comforting arm around her best friend's shoulders.

"You wanna talk about it?" She gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze, letting her know that she was there for her.

Sydney took a deep breath hoping that she could stay in control of her emotions. "We hadn't been right for a long time, I knew it but he just didn't wanna admit it. And after Leo's party Michael stayed the night, but it was purely innocent, but Danny came over the yesterday morning and saw that Vaughn was there. They were so close to punching each other, but I managed to get Danny inside so that we could talk. And I broke up with him!" Francie watched as Sydney wiped a fallen tear from her cheek.

"Come here." She pulled her friend into a hug, soothingly stroking her hair. "Are you ok?" She asked referring to the tears that visible in her eyes, threatening to spill out.

"Yeah I'm not upset about the fact that we broke up. It's just I wasn't expecting him to react as harshly as he did. In all the time that I've known Danny, I've never once thought that he was capable of saying the things that he did to me." Sydney smiled, trying to hide the fact that his words had hurt her.

"Danny can be like that at times. He probably never meant a word of what he said, just give him time to cool down and he'll apologise for being such an ass!" They both laughed at the thought of Danny being an ass. "And then you know, you can move on and find yourself another gorgeous hunk!" Sydney blushed attracting Francie's attention. Francie looked at her waiting for her to explain what was making her blush.

"I may have already found him…" She grinned at her, happiness now visible in her eyes. Francie let out an excited squeal, which earned her a few girls from the people who were walking infront of them.

"Don't stop there! Who is he? Do I know him?" Sydney hadn't seen Francie this excited about something in a long time.

"Yeah you kinda do. It's Michael!" Francie paused for a minute as she repeated the name, trying to put faces to the name Michael.

"Wait…cute French guy Michael? That Michael?" She asked, her smile grew as Sydney nodded. "Oh my God. Sydney this is great! When did this happen?" She was now jumping up and down as she walked waiting for more details. Sydney couldn't help but laugh at her, as she tried to get her to calm down.

"We were just hanging out yesterday." She replied innocently.

"So have you kissed him yet?"

Sydney raised her eyebrows and looked at her. "I don't kiss and tell!" Sydney looked away and continued to walk, but Francie laughed at her statement and continued to watch her suspiciously. Sydney sensed that she was being watched and finally she gave in.

"Ok, I've kissed him! Happy now?" She rolled her head as Francie nodded and smiled.

Leo and Cole were sat on the benches outside of the school, waiting for their friends. The campus was packed full of students discussing their weekend as they waited 20 minutes for the bell to ring, starting the school day.

Five minutes later, the Halliwell sisters walked towards them and took a seat on the bench. Piper and Phoebe kissed their boyfriends, while Paige laughed at a story that Prue was telling her. Danny walked over to the gang and sat next to Leo on the bench, a miserable expression painted onto his face. They all looked at him, waiting for some indication about what was wrong with him. He sat in silence; his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Danny?" Danny looked up at the sound of Cole's voice. "What's up?"

He ran his hand quickly through his hair before he answered him. "Me and Sydney, we broke up yesterday." He went back to staring at the floor leaving them to process this new information.

The girls all looked at each other wondering why Sydney hadn't called to tell them. Leo patted Danny on the back, his way of telling him that he was there if he needed anything.

Sydney and Francie spotted their friends as they got closer to the school. At a first glance Sydney didn't think that Danny was there, but then as she got closer she spotted him.

"Francie, I don't think that this is such a good idea!" Sydney was shaking her head, not ready for another confrontation with her now ex-boyfriend. Francie gently held her hand.

"Sydney their your friends as much as they are his. You're gonna have to face him sooner or later, so why not get it over with?" Sydney nodded and continued to walk towards them.

The group, except for Danny, greeted Sydney and Francie as they came to stand with them. No one mentioned the break up, as they didn't want the atmosphere between them to get any more awkward than it already was. Sydney glanced at Danny, the pain, and upset visible for all to see on his face. Looking away from him, she spotted Weiss walking towards the school. She knew that the situation would be less awkward for everybody if she just left.

"Francie this was a bad idea." She whispered to her friend. "I'll see you guys later…" She sighed, walking away from them and towards Weiss. Danny watched as she walked away from them; it seemed that all she was doing lately was walking out of his life.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 

Jack had agreed to let Irina drive him to school, as his hangover hadn't eased up and he didn't feel up to driving. They had made a quick pit stop at Jack's so that he could change and grab his things that he would need for work.

The car ride was made in silence, except for the odd insults in Russian, which Irina blurted out at the other drivers. Irina had never been a patient driver; she had always thought that driving should be done her way, or no way at all. Irina's idea of driving was to totally ignore the speed limit and the other drivers on the road; it was as though she was the only person with a destination to get to.

Jack closed his eyes, his head leaning against the cold window. His thoughts drifted back to last night; something had changed in his relationship with Irina, but he couldn't quite figure out what. He came to the realization that last night was probably the most that they had spoken civilly since they had broken up. Jack put all thoughts of Irina aside as the large school building came into view. Sighing, he thanked her for the ride, gathered his belongings and grudgingly made his way to the staff room.

"Syd, is everything ok?" Weiss had noticed the troubled expression on his new friend's face, and her friends, which she's left behind. It wasn't that he wasn't happy that she was walking with him, but he could sense that something was on her mind and he knew from experience that talking about your problems often helped to sort them out.

"Am I that transparent?" She asked.

"Hey, I'm not saying your Casper the Ghost or anything!" Weiss's shot a joke, however bad it may have been, won a smile from Sydney. "But all jokes aside. Are you ok?" Eric wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, his small gesture telling her that she could confide in him.

"Yeah, it's just seeing Danny this morning…I just felt really awkward being with my friends while he was there. I know that they're not just his friends but somehow I feel like I'm the one that's in the wrong because I broke up with him. I don't know why I'm even telling you this, it's just me being stupid!" Sydney shut her eyes and leaned her head back against Weiss's shoulder.

Weiss pulled her into a hug in the middle of the crowded hallway, earning them some strange looks from the other students. "You're not in the wrong Syd. You had your reasons for breaking up with Danny; you shouldn't have to stay in a relationship just to make other people happy. You weren't happy so you got out! If other people can't come to terms with that then it's their own problem." He amazed himself that he was actually giving somebody else advice; usually he was the one with the problem. "And as for you being stupid…well just look at me! Everybody's entitled to be stupid once in a while!" He smiled.

"Yeah but Weiss sometimes you just abuse the privilege!" She teased, watching the look of shear shock and disgust cover Weiss's face. He played along with her, pretending that her comment had really hurt him, which just made Sydney laugh.

"After all my heartfelt advice you go and pull a stunt like that! Well Bristow, that will be the last advice I ever give you. There'll be no more Mr Nice Weiss!" They stopped at her locker so that she could deposit some books. Her laughter had died down now, the only evidence being the smile that remained on her lips.

Weiss leaned against the locker next to hers, his arms folded across his chest. He kept flashing her looks, telling her that he was still 'upset' by her comment.

"Aww Eric come on! You know you can't stay mad at me for long. You're not the only one who can make jokes you know," she playfully punched him on the arm watching as his frown was replaced with a smile.

"Ok, you're forgiven! But just don't go around making too many jokes…we don't want me going out of business now do we?"

"Deal!" Sydney was thankful that she had a friend like Eric, even though they had only been friends for over a week. She was surprised that he was single, after all he was kind, sweet, had a good sense of humour, was fun to be around and she had to admit that he was kinda cute. _Maybe there's something I can do about him being single!_ She thought to herself, smiling mischievously at Weiss as a plan began to form in her mind. He was about to ask her what she was smiling at when Vaughn came walking towards them.

"Hey."

"Hi." Weiss and Sydney replied in unison.

"Hey man, I forgot to tell you. I overheard some guys talking and it turns out that the hockey tryouts are tomorrow lunchtime. You should go," After seeing him play yesterday Weiss knew that he would be great on the team.

"Oh…I don't know…"

"Syd, you should see this guy play hockey! I've never seen anyone move so well on ice before!" Colour rose to Vaughn's cheeks at Weiss's slightly over exaggerated comment. Sydney smiled at Vaughn, images of him on the ice playing on her mind.

"If you're as good as Eric says you are, you should definitely try out," Sydney reached out and gently touched his arm, giving him some encouragement. He smiled at her contact and then turned to Weiss.

"Ok, I'll try out as long as you do too."

"I think that sounds like a fair deal!" Sydney chimed in, knowing that she was teasing Eric for the second time that day. Being with Vaughn and Weiss had helped Sydney forget all about Danny and how awkward it was being around him, which she was grateful to them for.

Weiss was silent for a couple of minutes while he thought about Vaughn's offer. He had been playing hockey for a couple of years now, but he had never actually played for a team before. But he knew that in order to get Vaughn on the team he would have to tryout with him. "Ok, you got yourself a deal!" He laughed as Vaughn and Sydney high-fived, obviously proud of their accomplishment.

Piper, Phoebe and Paige walked into their biology class closely followed by Cole and Leo. They were scouting the room looking for five empty seats that were close together, when they spotted Sydney already sitting down in between Vaughn and Weiss. She hadn't noticed them walk in as the three of them looked like they were deep in conversation, each laughing every now and then at something that was said.

Piper looked at Paige and sighed. She knew that the break up was going to push one of their friends away from them; she just hoped that it would be Danny and not Sydney. Taking a seat on the other side of the room, the girls decided that they would talk to Sydney before the lesson started.

"Hey Syd," Phoebe smiled at her friend.

Sydney stopped her conversation and looked up at her three best friends. "Hey guys." She smiled at them, the awkwardness she felt that morning had gone; probably due to the fact that Danny wasn't insight. Vaughn and Weiss smiled at the girls, earning a small smile acknowledging their existence.

"Can we talk to you for a minute Syd?" Paige asked, nodding her head at an empty part of the classroom, indicating where they wanted to talk. Piper pushed her long brown hair back over her shoulders, as Sydney nodded and stood up from her seat.

"What's up?" She asked, leaning back on an empty table. The three girls looked at each other, trying to decide who should talk first.

"Danny told us what happened, and we were worried about you," the older sister was the first to speak, concern visible on her face.

"Thanks, but I'm fine you guys." She tried her best to reassure them.

"Sydney come on. It's us you're talking to. You don't have to lie to us." Phoebe stood beside her, her arm securely wrapped around her waist. Sydney looked down at the floor, avoiding their gaze. _They're my best friends. I can't keep lying to them. _Finally she raised her eyes and looked at each of them in turn.

"Ok, so it's been a little tough, especially around you guys when Danny's there. But I'm handling it and Vaughn and Weiss have been great, they've really helped to cheer me up." She smiled as she looked over at her new friends. "You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine." She put her arms around Paige and Phoebe pulling them towards her into a hug, with Piper trapped in the middle.

"We just don't want you to stop hanging around with us because of what's happened with Danny. We're there for him, but let us be there for you too! OK?" Paige tucked Sydney's hair behind her ears.

"Ok, thanks."

"You don't have to thank us, we love you and we want to help you get through this." Phoebe spoke the words that were on her sister's minds. The biology teacher's arrival into the room cut their reunion short, as they had to go and take their seats. Sydney sat down with a bright smile on her face; everything that Danny had said about her friends abandoning her was a lie. _I may not still be the most popular girl in school, but as long as I have my friends then I'm happy_.

Everybody crowded into the cafeteria once the bell had rung. As it was Monday lunchtime, Sydney knew that Danny and the other guys would be at football practice, which basically meant that they would actually play football for about twenty minutes and then just hit the showers. So she could go and spend some of the lunch hour with the girls and not have to worry about what Danny would be feeling. 

Walking into the cafeteria, Sydney noticed that they were sitting at their usual table. She tried to make her way through the crowds to get to them, but that was made difficult by groups of students who were just standing around gossiping.

"Well I heard that Sydney found him cheating on her with one of her best friends, so she dumped him!" Sydney looked at the group of girls standing infront of her, oblivious to her being behind them. She thought that they were in the year below until she spotted Lauren Reed, the girl who was chatting to Vaughn at Leo's party. Leo had said that Lauren was a nice person but from what Sydney was seeing she couldn't exactly say the same thing. She hated people knowing what was going on in her personal life, but once the rumours were out there, there was nothing she could do to stop them.

"That's not what I heard. I got told that Danny is gay, and he dumped her for Billy Paterno, you know the guy who's always lurking around watching people!"

Sydney sighed and pushed her way past them, alerting them to her presence. They all stopped talking and looked at one another, not sure what to do.

"Don't you just hate gossips!" Sydney said as she took a seat at the table.

"Are people spreading rumours?" Piper asked after taking a bite of her sandwich. Sydney nodded. All around the cafeteria people where looking in her direction, trying to decide for themselves what had happened between Danny and Sydney.

"It'll soon pass over hon, once another story comes along, everybody will be all over that and your break-up with Danny will be old news!" Francie tried to reassure her friend.

"I hope so," she sighed. "So what were you guys talking about?" She quickly changed the subject, hoping that they could talk about something different.

Sydney quickly finished her lunch and gathered her things. "I've gotta go and meet somebody, so I'll see you all later?" They said their goodbyes and Sydney walked out of the cafeteria, ignoring the looks and comments that she heard on her way past.

"Who is she going to meet?"

"Michael maybe?" Phoebe answered Francie's question, not quite sure of the answer.

Just as they had planned, Weiss and Vaughn were sat under a big oak tree in the middle of the campus. Some of the students had chosen to eat their lunch outside, as the weather was still quite hot and sunny. Vaughn was leaning back against the tree, his legs spread out infront of him. Weiss was lying down opposite him, admiring the clouds in the sky.

"Hey you two!" Sydney stood beside them as they both greeted her.

"Hi."

"Hey!" Vaughn grinned at her; his eyes reflecting the sunlight, making them sparkle even more. Vaughn reached up and took her hand, leading her to sit down infront of him. Sitting in between his legs, she leaned back so that she was resting against his chest, his arms wrapped across her stomach. Sitting there next to Vaughn made Sydney forget all about Lauren and the rumours that were floating around.

Weiss looked at his two friends, a content look on both of their faces.

"So are you both still trying out for the hockey team?" Sydney asked.

"Yes." Vaughn replied.

"Do you mind if I came along and watched?" She turned to Vaughn and waited for his answer. Ever since she saw him in his hockey shirt the day before she hadn't been able to get the image out of her mind.

"I'd love for you too come!" They smiled at each other and turned back to Weiss who seemed to have fallen asleep in the summer sun.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The bell rang, bringing an end to their lunch hour. Sydney said goodbye to the guys and made her way to her geography class. She entered the classroom smiling, relieved that Danny wasn't in this lesson and thankful that she got to sit next to Paige and put her plan into action.

Paige was already sitting in her seat, her dark brown hair hanging loosely over her shoulders. She quickly finished talking to the girls who sat behind them, and smiled at Sydney as she sat down.

"Hi Paige!" Sydney smiled back at her, the last parts of her plan slowly falling into place in her mind.

"Hey sweetie. Where did you go at lunch?" Paige asked, twirling a small section of her hair around her index finger. Sydney opened her mouth to answer, but the class was instructed to quieten down so that the lesson could begin.

Marcus Dixon stood at the front of the classroom, his arms folded across his chest. Before being promoted to principal, Mr. Dixon had spent the last 15 years teaching geography at the school. He took the principal job on the condition that he could continue teaching geography.

Like many of the teachers at her school, Sydney had known Marcus from an early age. Her father had built many acquaintances over the years; most of them being people that he worked with. On several occasions before her parents' divorce, Marcus and his wife Diane had come over to the Bristow residence for dinner, just like Arvin Sloane and Emily did. Sydney had grown quite accustom to their visits, but since the divorce their visits had become few and far between. They would mainly spend time with Jack and Irina separately; Sydney was never around when they were. Some pupils in the school associated Sydney's popularity with the people that her family was friends with, but Sydney had learned to ignore the thoughts of those people.

"Now that I have your attention, please open your books at page 98." Dixon was a fairly patient man, but he liked his class to start paying attention the minute they walked through the door, although this rarely happened.

A couple of seconds later, once everybody's books were open, Dixon began reading a paragraph on 'glacial land features in The Alps.' The class managed to remain silent until he had finished reading.

"Now in groups of two, I want you to make a list of the glacial features and describe how they have been formed." He took a seat at his desk and began to mark test papers, leaving the class to get on with the activity.

Sydney took this opportunity to talk to Paige. "Yeah sorry for running off at lunch time, but I told Vaughn that I would meet up with him and Weiss and just hang out for a little while." Sydney's voice was low, even though the majority of people in the room had broken out into conversation, which was not about the work that they were doing.

"It's no big deal, we were all just wondering where you went."

"Are you busy tomorrow lunch time?" Sydney asked. Ever since she found out that Eric was single, she had this plan to set him up with one of her friends, and Paige seemed like a good match for him. After all she was single, really pretty, smart, had a good sense of humour. Sydney could tell that they would make a cute couple.

"No I don't think so. What did you have in mind?" Paige picked up her pen, making it look like she was writing as Dixon glanced around the room. Sydney looked down at her book, pretending that she was reading it. Once Dixon had resumed marking, they continued their conversation.

"Well the hockey try outs are tomorrow lunch time, and Michael and Eric are trying out. And I thought maybe it would be fun if we went along and watched them." Sydney shrugged, trying to make her invitation seem innocent.

Paige smiled. "Sure, sounds like fun!" Sydney mirrored Paige's smile, a new plan forming in her mind. _If I get them to meet at try outs tomorrow, then maybe I can organise some kind of double date for the four of us…_Sydney's grin grew, earning her a questioning look from Paige.

"What are you smiling at?"

Sydney looked at her innocently, all signs of laughter well hidden. "Nothing, I was just thinking to myself."

"Irina?" Jack Bristow stood outside her classroom door, a couple of textbooks resting in his arms. Irina was writing on the board behind her desk, waiting for her English Lit class to arrive.

"Hi Jack!" Irina found it hard to hide her surprise at seeing him in the middle of the day.

Jack walked into the room, placing his books on a nearby table. "I just came by to apologise about this morning." Jack looked at her shyly, his cheeks slowly reddening from embarrassment.

"Jack you don't have to apologise…" Irina tried to assure him, but he was determined that he would apologise, and once Jack Bristow had made his mind up there was no going back. He definitely had passed on his stubborn side to Sydney, who on several occasions displayed many of her father's characteristics.

"No, Irina let me finish please." She nodded so he continued. "I shouldn't have imposed on you like that, and God only knows what Sydney thought this morning when she came downstairs…" He trailed off as he remembered the awkward situation that they were all in that morning. "Anyway, the reason I stopped by was to see if I could make it up to you."

Irina froze for a couple of seconds, unsure of what to say. "Jack you really don't need to do that. After all, it's probably my fault that you were that drunk, I was the one that gave you the wine!"

"Let me take you out to dinner tonight." He begged her. She noticed a few of her students waiting in the doorway, so she quickly gave him her answer.

"Ok, pick me up at 7." She whispered so that only Jack could hear her. She smiled as he picked up his books and made his way out of the classroom. Irina couldn't believe how excited she was at the thought of going to dinner with Jack. _What is wrong with me?_

After his history lesson came to an end, Vaughn headed down the corridor to his English Lit class. He quite enjoyed that lesson, as he got to sit behind Sydney Bristow and just be amazed at how beautiful she was. The only drawback was Danny, who would probably be watching him from the other side of the room.

Vaughn walked into the class and noticed that Sydney was already in her seat talking to Piper. She had a huge smile on her face and her eyes were bright and full of life. Vaughn could feel his heart beating faster in his chest as he watched her, but he was brought back to reality as someone walked into him. He turned around to find Danny smirking at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Danny said sarcastically, causing Leo and Cole to roll their eyes and walk away from him.

"I'm sure you are!" Vaughn replied just as sarcastically as he had been. They glared at each other, and then both walked towards their seats.

"Hey buddy." Weiss greeted him as he took a seat. "What was all that about?" He nodded towards Danny, but Vaughn just shook his head.

"It was nothing."

Sydney was too busy talking to Piper about Prue and Andy that she didn't notice Vaughn's confrontation with Danny. She glanced behind her and smiled at Michael.

"Hey Sydney." Vaughn mirrored her smile. "Syd…" He motioned for her to lean closer as he whispered in her ear. "Can I take you out tonight?"

Sydney couldn't stop her smile from growing as his words sunk in. _He wants to take me out on our first date!!! _Her heart was pounding in her chest, butterflies slowly creeping into her stomach. She looked at him, his gorgeous green eyes captivating her.

"Yes, I'd like that." She said, her voice full of laughter as the happiness continued to bubble up inside her.

"I'll pick you up at 7:30?"

"That's great!" Sydney smiled at him one last time and then turned back around as the lesson started. She noticed a small note scribbled in pink ink at the top of her page:

_Seeing as you have a hot date tonight, I'll be round at 5:30! _

_P_

Piper sat facing the front of the class, acting as though she hadn't wrote anything, but Sydney saw right through her little act.

"Why will you be around at 5:30?" Sydney asked, jokingly.

"What kind of a best friend would I be if I didn't come round to help you get ready for a first date!" Piper pushed her hair out of her face, and smiled at her friend.

"Thank you." Sydney was touched by how great all of her friends were; they were always ready to do anything for her, and they were always there whenever she needed them.

"No problem!" Piper smiled as she nudged her with her elbow.

Danny sat on the other side of the room staring at Vaughn. He had deliberately walked into him, at the start of the lesson, which Leo and Cole had figured out.

"Would you just look at the guy! Seriously who does he think he is?" Danny hated everything about Michael Vaughn; his voice, face; those green eyes that made all the girls go weak at the knees. But mainly he just hated the fact that Sydney liked him so much.

"Danny you have got to let this go," Cole was starting to get fed up with this personal vendetta that Danny had against Michael.

"Yeah man. Sydney's no longer your girlfriend, she's free to date whoever she wants, whether that be him or not. You just gotta stop beating yourself up about it." Leo sighed. Cole and Leo had listened to Danny moan about Vaughn all through football practise and they were both bored of hearing it.

Danny could hear them but he wasn't paying much attention to them. _One way or another I'm gonna make him pay._

"Sydney could I see you for a minute please?" Irina asked as the class began to file out.

"Sure!" Sydney gathered her things and walked to the front of the class. Irina waited until the room was empty before she started talking.

"I just wanted to tell you that I won't be home for dinner tonight."

"Neither will I actually. I have a date with Vaughn." Sydney smiled at the mention of his name. "Where are you going?"

Irina paused as she contemplated telling Sydney about her 'date' with Jack. "Well…erm…I'm having dinner with your father!" Irina looked down at the floor, wanting to avoid making eye contact with her daughter.

"Oh My God! You have a date with dad?" It was a good job that the room was empty as Sydney said this statement a little louder than she had intended.

Irina looked up from the floor. "Dinner not a date." She corrected her daughter.

"Ok, so you have a dinner date with dad!" Sydney enjoyed teasing her mother, although Irina failed to see the fun of Sydney's teasing.

"Look I just wanted to tell you that I won't be home for dinner. Now go, you'll be late for class." Irina was putting an end to her daughter's teasing. After all she wasn't sure herself if it was dinner or a date. _I guess I'll just have to wait and see!_ Sydney laughed and gave her mom a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye Mom!"

**The Manor**

"Paige?" Prue knocked gently on the bedroom door. A couple of seconds later Paige opened her bedroom door to see Prue standing there dressed in beige trousers and a red vest top.

"Hi Prue," Paige smiled.

"Hey. I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out. Piper is over at Sydney's and Phoebe said something about having an assignment that she had to finish. Pat Benarar's playing at P3 tonight so Mom and Grams will be there until the club closes. So it'll give us a chance to talk." Prue was quite nervous about talking to Paige. There was so much that they didn't know about each other; they had a whole sixteen years to catch up on.

"Yeah ok." Paige followed Prue into the sunroom, and took a seat opposite her. She sat with her legs crossed beneath her, her hands fidgeting with the hem on her pants.

"It's weird how we don't know that much about each other, don't you think?" Paige spoke first to break the silence that had fallen over them.

Prue nodded as she hugged her knees to her chest. "Yeah it is. So, how are we gonna do this?" Prue had absolutely no idea how to start off their conversation.

"Favourite colour?" Paige asked, shrugging her shoulders when she received a puzzled look from Prue. "Come on, it's a start!" She laughed at her own silliness.

"Ok. Purple. Yours?"

"Green."

"What do you like doing in your spare time? You know like hobbies and stuff," Prue started to relax as the questions that she wanted to know came into her mind.

"I like to paint, I'm not saying that I'm artistic or anything, but I enjoy doing it. I gave up on it for a while, but then I found some of my old brushes and paints, and the next thing I knew I was painting again."

"You'll have to show me a few of your paintings some time." Prue suggested.

"Yeah ok. What about you?"

"Photography! I love taking pictures. I guess it all started when I found an old camera up in the attic, and then I went snappy happy, taking pictures of everyone and everything. I actually used the room in the basement to develop my pictures before I moved away."

"I think you should wear this one." Piper pulled a black dress out of Sydney's closet and held it up to her.

"No, that one is way to dressy. I don't even know where he is taking me yet. I don't want to be over dressed." Sydney looked at the clock, and was thankful that they still had an hour and forty-five minutes until Vaughn arrived. She still had to find an outfit, wash her hair and do her make up. _When did going on a date become so stressful?_

Piper sighed as she put the dress back into the closet. "You go and wash your hair while I pick something for you to wear. Go on, I promise I'll pick something nice," Piper ushered Sydney out of the room, ignoring every one of her protests.

Twenty minutes later, Sydney emerged out of the bathroom dressed in a bathrobe, her wet hair hanging over her shoulders. Piper was sat on the bed flicking through a fashion magazine, an outfit layed out on the bed next to her.

"Where did you find this? I'd forgotten that I'd even bought this." Sydney looked at the white gypsy skirt and pink halterneck top that Piper had picked out.

"You'll be amazed at what you can find hanging at the back of your wardrobe." Piper laughed as she got up off the bed. "Now if you'd like to sit down," she put on a posh accent as she motioned to the seat at Sydney's dressing table. "Your hairdresser is waiting to transform you into the princess that we all know you are." Sydney couldn't help but laugh at her; at least Piper was taking away the nerves that were settled in Sydney's stomach.

"Boyfriends." Prue picked the next topic for them to talk about.

Paige groaned. "Ok. Well first there was Glen, we'd been friends since we were like 6, and then when we were 13 we had our first kiss, but we didn't want to ruin the friendship so we stayed just friends. Then came Richard. We met at school, but even though I liked him a lot, he just wasn't right for me you know! And that ended 4 months ago, and I haven't dated anybody since." Paige hadn't always been lucky where guys were involved, she had never met a guy who was perfect for her; there was always something wrong with the guys that she liked.

"My love life hasn't been too colourful. Well I've known Andy since I was 4; him, Piper and I used to play together when we were kids. And then as we got older we became a little more than friends, and we started dating when we were about 13. Then we broke up, I moved away and a couple of months later I met Jack. I couldn't stand him at first, I thought he was the biggest jerk going, but then when I got to know him better I started to like him. We dated for a couple a month or two but I was still in love with Andy so we broke up. I knew that it wasn't fair to Jack to keep dating him when I was thinking about Andy all the time. And now I guess I'm back to dating Andy again, which I couldn't be happier about!" Prue's smile took over her face, as she realised just how lucky she was that Andy took her back.

A knock on Sydney's door interrupted the girl's conversation. "Come in." Sydney called and her mother walked into the room.

"Hi girls." She was wearing black pants, accompanied by a red spaghetti strap top, which showed off her figure. Her hair fell down in soft waves around her face, which was showed only a hint of make-up.

"Wow. You look really nice Irina!" Piper was the first to compliment her. Irina blushed slightly but thanked her for her compliment.

"Yeah mom, you do look really nice. Are you sure that it's just dinner?" Sydney couldn't help but tease.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Ignore her, she's just a little nervous about her date!" Piper laughed as Sydney playfully hit her on the head.

"Do you think I'm over dressed?" Sydney had placed on once of doubt in her mind. Irina walked over to Sydney's mirror and started looking at her outfit wondering if she'd made the wrong choice.

The doorbell rang, indicating Jack Bristow's arrival. Irina starred at the girls, panic visible on her face.

"Mom I was just winding you up. You look gorgeous, and no you are not over dressed, you are beautifully dressed. Now go on, you don't want to keep dad waiting, you know how impatient he can get!" Irina laughed and pulled her daughter into a hug.

"Stop teasing me! And have fun on your date! Michael's a lovely boy." Irina smiled at her daughter. "Bye sweetheart." She kissed the top of her head and started to leave the room. "Bye Piper."

"Bye Irina. Have a nice time!"

Irina opened the front door and smiled at Jack. "Hey Jack."

Jack couldn't believe how beautiful Irina looked. He knew that he was staring at her but he found it hard to pry his eyes away from her. "Hi Irina. You look lovely tonight."

For the second time that night Irina Derevko was blushing. "Thank you. You ready to go?" He nodded and the two of them walked towards his car.

Sydney was dressed and her hair was done. Piper had blown it straight and clipped the top half back. Now all that was left was her make-up. Sydney sat down to allow Piper to apply her make-up.

After applying a coat of mascara Piper stopped and took a seat on the bed. "Sydney I'm only going to ask you this once, and when you've answered I won't mention it again." Sydney nodded a confused look on her face. "Are you sure that you're ready to date again? I mean you and Danny only just broke up…"

Sydney cut her off before she could finish. "I understand what you're saying, but the truth is my heart wasn't in my relationship with Danny since the summer started. It was then that I knew that we were over and I dealt with it then. I'm ready to start dating again, even though Danny and me have only just officially broke up. But thanks for being concerned."

Piper continued to look at her friend before nodding, showing that she understood. "Ok, let's finish getting you ready." She hugged her friend and then went back to applying the make-up.

Thirty minutes later, Sydney was already to go. Piper had leant her a silver necklace that she had gotten for her birthday and a pair of earrings that matched. They were both waiting in the living room when the doorbell rang.

"He's here."


	22. Chapter 21

**Hey guys, **

**sorry it's taken me so long to update, i've been a busy writing new fics and stuff:) **

**anyways, here's the next chap and it's dedicated to** waitinromeo **because your review was just so sweet! thank you so much. and thank you to everyone else who has reviewed, i love to hear your thoughts on the chapter...i'll stop babbling now:P**

**Chapter 21**

"He's here." Sydney smiled nervously, as she checked her reflection in the mirror. Piper let out a girlish squeal, her excitement for Sydney beginning to show.

"Ok, sweetie I'm just gonna hide in the kitchen until you guys have gone and then I'm going to head over to Leo's. Have a great time honey." She kissed her on the cheek and gave her a hug.

"Piper, thanks for tonight…for everything." Sydney was truly grateful for everything that Piper had done for her, and she knew that it was time that she told her that.

"Hey you don't have to thank me. It's what I'm here for." Piper smiled and walked into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table and began flicking through a catalogue that had been left there.

Taking one last look in the mirror, Sydney opened the door and gave her date an irresistible smile. "Hey." Vaughn was stunned at how amazingly beautiful she looked as she smiled at him from the doorway. He couldn't help but check-her out, which didn't go unnoticed by Sydney who blushed as she felt his eyes roam all over her body.

Finally her pulled himself together and managed to speak. "Hi." He leaned towards her and gently kissed her, his hand resting on her waist, his other arm behind his back. "You look gorgeous Syd." He made eye contact with her, her long eyelashes framing her chocolate coloured eyes.

"Thank you. You look hot yourself!" The minute she opened the door she noticed how attractive he looked. He was wearing khaki pants, accompanied by a black top, and his hair was a little messier than usual which Sydney liked.

"This is for you." His arm, which was behind his back, came forward, a single white rose held in it. Sydney took the rose from him and brought it up to her nose, as she smelt it. She smiled, remembering yesterday morning when he had first given her a white rose, which was now kept in a vase in her room, among some other flowers.

She placed the rose on the table near the door, promising to herself that she would add it to the other one later, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Your welcome! So are you ready to go?" He asked, holding out his hand for her to hold. She nodded as she took his hand, their fingers automatically linking together.

"So where is it we're going, if you don't mind me asking?"

"No I don't mind you asking," he smiled shyly at her. "We're going to the beach, I have a surprise waiting for you." He told her, enjoying the look of excitement which was spread across her face.

"I love surprises!" She gave his hand a quick squeeze; a huge grin fixed on her face.

"It's only a couple of blocks away. I thought it would be nice if we walked." Vaughn suggested as they walked down Sydney's street.

"Yeah that would be great!" She released his hand, and leaned into him, his arm wrapping around her shoulders, and hers settling around his waist.

They had been driving for about thirty minutes before Jack eventually pulled into a parking lot. They had talked for most of the way, their conversation drifting towards Sydney and work. Stepping out of the car, Irina looked at the restaurant that Jack had chosen. 'Rossiya,' was a famed Russian restaurant in their neighborhood, although Irina had never dined there before.

The exterior of the restaurant looked fairly American, blending in with the other shops and restaurants that were on that road. But the inside was decorated like true Russian restaurants, even the music played held a hint of Irina's home country.

"I know that you miss home a lot, so I thought it would be nice if we dined here." Jack smiled as he opened the door of the restaurant for her. Irina was touched; bringing her here was certainly one of the nicest things anybody had ever done for her.

"Thank you Jack." Her smile warmed him, as he knew that she appreciated his thought. "That was really sweet of you."

A waiter interrupted them, and asked if he could help them. He spoke in Russian, his accent matching that of Irina's. Jack looked at Irina helplessly; Russian wasn't one of the languages that he spoke. Rolling her eyes at Jack, she answered the waiter.

"здравствулте! можем мы иметь таблицу для 2 пожалуйста? (Can we have a table for 2 please?)" Jack was impressed hearing Irina speak fluently. He hated to admit it, but he found her quite sexy when she started speaking Russian, although he couldn't understand a word of what she was saying.

"Некоторо. Если вы хотел были бы последовать за мной (Certainly. If you would like to follow me.)" He picked up two menus and made his way through the crowded restaurant towards an empty table next to the window. The people dining were mainly couples who appeared to be in love; judging by the way that they were gazing into each other's eyes.

Jack pulled out the chair for Irina, surprising both himself and her. She smiled and thanked him as she took a seat. Jack sat opposite her, mentally beating himself about his growing feelings for his ex-wife.

"ваши меню (Your menus)" The waiter handed them both a menu, and took out a small pad of paper and pen. "Могу я получить вам что-то выпить? (Can I get you something to drink?)" He waited while they chose.

"Do you just want to share a bottle of wine?" Irina asked, smirking as she remembered what happened last time that they shared some wine; it resulted in Jack passing out on her couch.

"Sure." Jack had to leave it up to Irina to order the drinks, her foreign words going right over his head. _Why couldn't she be speaking Arabic? Now Arabic I could understand…_

"Смогли мы иметь бутылку вина пожалуйста? (Can we have a bottle of wine please?)"

"O'кейо. Красный цвет или белизна? (Ok. Red or white?)"

"Red or white?" Irina translated for Jack, and waited for his answer. Jack hated that he couldn't understand the waiter, but it was his own fault. Irina had always told him that he should learn Russian, but he had never listened.

"Red sounds good!"

"Красный цвет пожалуйста."

"O'кейо." Irina gave the waiter a friendly smile as he walked away.

"This is a lovely restaurant. How did you find this place?"

"I've drove past it a couple of times, and thought that it looked like a decent place, but I just never came." They both opened their menus although this task was more difficult for Jack who couldn't read a word of it. _Wouldn't you think that they'd have a menu in English? _Jack sighed and looked at the menu, acting like he understood it although Irina saw right through his act but didn't say anything.

Five minutes later the waiter came back and placed their drinks on the table. "Могу я принять ваш заказ? (Can I take your order?)" Irina closed the menu and passed it back to him.

"да, я буду иметь русское пряное kolbassa. Вы. (Yes, I will have the Russian spicy kolbassa. thank you)" They both looked at Jack who continued to gaze at the menu, and then randomly picked a dish.

"Bors, B o r s," Jack was trying his hardest to pronounce one of the dishes, but the waiter couldn't understand a word of what he was saying. He turned back to Irina, hoping that she could tell him what her friend wanted. Irina gave Jack a please-give-up look, and he finally did. Sighing he showed her the menu and pointed to what he wanted to order.

Trying to hide her laughter, Irina turned to the waiter. "Oн будет иметь лето Borscht. Огорченно он будет американцом, Русский не дальше языков он говорит. (He will have the Summer Borscht. Sorry he's an American; Russian isn't one of the languages that he speaks.)" Irina apologized for Jack, causing the waiter to laugh as he walked away. Irina looked at Jack, no longer being able to hold her laughter in.

"So what is it that I've ordered?" Jack asked, suddenly worried about his choice of food.

"It wasn't the food that you ordered that we were laughing at. You're just so American!" Jack looked away, embarrassment building up in him. Irina placed her hand on his, causing him to look at her. "It's sweet! And as for your meal you basically ordered beef, potatoes and vegetables. Nothing weird!"

They finally arrived at the beach, still with their arms around each other. To people who walked past them, they looked like the perfect couple; they just fitted together so well. The part of the beach that they were walking on was deserted; not a person in sight. Sydney noticed a blanket and picnic basket in the middle of the beach and looked at Vaughn who was grinning at her.

"Where having a picnic on the beach?" Sydney asked, standing to face him. The sun was beginning to set along the horizon, creating a romantic atmosphere on the beach. Vaughn captured her smile with his lips as he gave her a loving kiss.

"Yes we are. Come on." Vaughn sat down on the blanket, Sydney sitting opposite him. He opened the basket and took out the contents.

"Did you make all of this yourself?" Sydney asked. She was amazed at all the trouble that he had gone to for her; she could tell that she was falling fast for this guy.

Vaughn smiled shyly and looked at her. "Yeah I did, well with the help of my mom's recipes." Sydney gazed at all the food that he had made; there was a chicken salad, pasta, fruit cocktails and a deliciously chocolate fudge cake which Sydney just couldn't keep her eyes off.

"This all looks gorgeous Vaughn." Sydney gave him a chaste kiss and started to help him get everything out of the basket.

They started eating the pasta and salad, all the time talking about school, Vaughn's life in France, Sydney's friends. Sydney ate quickly, determined to eat the chocolate cake. Vaughn knew what she was doing, and couldn't help but laugh.

Finally when all they had finished their main meal, Vaughn took out the chocolate cake and cut a slice for Sydney and himself. "Thanks." She immediately started eating it, enjoying every bite. "Michael this is so good. Did you make this yourself?"

"Actually the cake was bought." He laughed, a smile remaining on his lips. "Er, Syd?"

"Yeah?" Sydney looked up from her cake to see what he wanted.

"You have a little bit of chocolate there." He pointed to his lip, causing Sydney to wipe her own lip.

"Has it gone?" Vaughn shook his head. Sydney put her cake down and continued trying to get the chocolate off of her face.

"No. Here let me." Vaughn moved over on the blanket, so that they were sat side by side. Sydney watched him as he leaned forward to kiss the corner of her mouth. He slowly started to kiss his way along her lips, until he was able to deepen the kiss. His arm went around her back, pulling her into him, her hands cupped his face. Pulling apart Sydney looked at him questioningly.

"There never was any chocolate on my face was there?" She smiled at him, as his eyes traveled over her face, taking in every bit of detail.

"No." He whispered, a cheeky grin playing on his lips. Sydney laughed and kissed him again, this time with more desire then before.

"So you wanna be a painter when you leave school?" Prue asked. They had moved their discussion into the living room, as the couch was far more comfortable than the chairs in the sunroom. Both of them were lying at opposite ends of the couch, content that they were finally getting to know each other better.

"No. I'd like to be a social worker. I like helping innocent people and I guess becoming a social worker will let me do that. What about you?"

"Well, I guess I'd like to be a professional photographer, for a top magazine or something. That would be cool. When I was in San Francisco, I had a Saturday job at Bucklands, which is one of the main auction houses in the Bay. So if the photography thing doesn't work out, I'd like to appraise antiques and things like that."

Phoebe came jogging down the stairs and stopped when she saw her two sisters. "Hey what are you two up to?" She had been working on an assignment all night, and she was still no where near finished. She was dressed in sweats, her hair tied to a scruffy bun on top of her head.

"We were just talking." Paige answered, although her and Prue knew that they had done more than talk; they had created a sisterly bond that should always have been there.

"Oh ok. I'm just going to get a drink before I get back to work, you guys want anything?" They both shook their heads so she left them to get back to their talking.

"Have you always got on well with Phoebe and Piper?" Paige asked. She had always been curious about their relationship before she arrived, only she had never asked anybody about it.

"Yeah, you could say that, but we haven't always got along. I've never had any major problems with Piper, but Phoebe and me haven't always seen eye to eye. I guess it was because she was younger and more naïve, we just used to fight about everything. But we talked about it and now I'm just as close to her as I am to Piper. Her and Piper have always been close though. Phoebe used to idolise her when she was growing up, she would always be following her around, wanting to be like her. I suppose it's quite cute really."

Paige was sad that she hadn't grown up with her sisters. She had believed that she was an only child, although she always had wished that that wasn't the case. She had friends who had sisters, and she had wanted what they had; other people to talk to, to share that closeness. But she knew that she should count herself lucky because now she had three sisters who she loved more than anything.

"Who do you get along with best?" Prue asked.

"Well at the start I got along better with Phoebe; she was more welcoming to me, made me feel more at home. Piper missed you a lot, and although you were still a part of her life, I think she saw me as a replacement for you, so she pushed me away. But eventually she came around and became more warm and friendly towards me. And now we're really close." Prue smiled; she was glad that Piper and Phoebe had welcomed Paige. Paige was part of the family; it was only right that she was treated like it.

"Do you remember that time that we went to that restaurant when your friends from out of town visited?" Irina started laughing as her and Jack took a trip down memory lane.

"Oh my God, I had forgotten about that. You made me get up and sing on the karoke. I have never been so embarrassed in my whole life." Jack laughed aswell, pleasant memories being resurfaced.

"Ваша еда (Your meal)" The waiter returned carrying two plates full of steaming hot food. He placed them down infront of the couple and walked away, serving a couple on another table.

"This looks nice." Jack commented on his food, content that he had made a good choice.

All the food had now been eaten, everything returned back into the basket. Sydney was leaning against Vaughn's chest, his arms wrapped safely around her, his head resting against hers. They sat there watching the sun set, Sydney drawing patterns along Vaughn's arms.

"Vaughn can I ask you a question?" She turned her head slightly so that she could see him, never once breaking the connection that they had.

"Sure. You can ask me anything."

"Does Weiss date a lot?" Vaughn threw her a puzzled look, quite confused by her question.

"Gee Syd, you're on a date with a guy and your thinking about his best friend." Vaughn said, sarcasm evident in his voice. "Let me just give you some advice for future dates…whenever you're with a guy, don't start talking about other guys. We don't like it!" He joked; receiving a playful hit on his arm.

"The reason I asked, was because I want to set him up with my friend Paige. They are both single, and I'm thinking that they would make a great couple. And FYI, I was thinking about you, but I just thought that you could help me with my plan. But obviously I was wrong." Sydney pretended to be angry, turning her face away from him. Vaughn sensed what she was doing and decided that he would make her talk to him again.

He started kissing the back of her neck slowly making his way up to her ear. "You know you're not really made at me, so why don't you stop pretending!" Sydney tried so hard to resist him, but the feel of his breath against her skin as he whispered in her ear sent shivers down her spine. She turned and pouted at him, but the pout was soon gone as he covered her lips with his own.

"So what's your plan?" He asked, pulling her even closer to him.

"You know how I'm coming to watch you guys play hockey tomorrow?" Vaughn nodded. "Well Paige is coming with me, and I guess I'm just gonna introduce them, and then I'm gonna arrange some kind of double date for us all tomorrow night."

"Oh, so you want to go on another date with me?" He asked, smirking. Inside his stomach was doing summersaults after hearing that she wanted to spend more time with him.

"Yeah, of course I want to go on another date with you. But if you don't want to then I can always find somebody else, shouldn't be too hard." _Aha that should wipe the smirk off his face._ Sydney was enjoying every minute of teasing him, he was just so cute the way he'd fall for it every time.

"Hey, you can't do that. I don't like the idea of my girlfriend going on a date with another guy." Vaughn froze as he finished that sentence. _Girlfriend? Did I just call Syd my girlfriend? _Vaughn wasn't the only one who noticed what he had said.

_Girlfriend? Did he just call me his girlfriend?_ All Sydney wanted to do was run along the beach screaming with happiness, but she managed to control herself, except for the huge smile that had taken residence on her face.

"Oh, so I'm your girlfriend now!" Sydney joked, trying to get the answer that she really wanted to hear.

Vaughn was lost for words. _Do not stuff this up! _"Well, that's if it's alright with you…" He smiled, hoping to win her over. She met his gaze, their eyes saying far much more than words could. Slowly the gap between them closed as Sydney kissed him.

"I'd love to be your girlfriend." Sydney gave her boyfriend another kiss, and then resumed their original position with Vaughn's arms wrapped around her, resting on her stomach, her back pressed up against him.

"Как была ваша еда? (How was your meal?)" The waiter asked Irina as he collected their empty plates. He knew that it was useless asking the man anything so all of his questions were directed at Irina. Irina told him that the meal was lovely and that they both had enjoyed it. "Могу я иметь проверку пожалуйста? (Can I have the check please?)" Irina asked. 

"Некоторо (Certainly)" The waiter disappeared with their plates and returned with the check, which he placed on the table. Irina went to pick it up, but Jack beat her to it.

"This is on me. After all you did all the translating for the night, it's only fair that I pay." Jack joked as he took out his credit card. Irina nodded and thanked him.

Once they had paid, they walked towards the exit ready to leave. "Имейте славную ночу. (Have a nice night.)" The waiter called as he spotted them leave.

"вы слишком. (You too)" Irina responded and linked her arm through Jack's as they walked to his car.

Sydney and Vaughn finally brought their date to an end, and began the walk back to Sydney's house. Sydney took a hold of Vaughn's hand, still smiling from the news that they were now officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Vaughn could tell that that was why she was smiling, because that was the reason that he had a smile on his face too. They walked most of the way in a comfortable silence, each just enjoying the company of the other person.

Walking up Sydney's driveway, Sydney guessed that her mom still wasn't back from her evening with her father. _I wonder how their date, sorry dinner went. _Sydney thought to herself as they came to a stop outside her front door.

"Thank you for tonight Michael. I had a really lovely time." _This has been probably one of the best dates I've ever had._

"I'm glad you liked it." Even in the dark Vaughn's smile still managed to dazzle her.

"You know what else I like?" Sydney asked, as she gradually got closer to him.

"You're gonna have to give me a clue…" Vaughn said as their lips met. Sydney wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her embrace. Breaking apart, Vaughn laughed. "Well that was some clue." Sydney giggled at him as she fished in her purse for her keys.

"Do you want to meet me here tomorrow before we go to school?" She asked, finally grabbing hold of her keys.

"Yeah I'd like that." Vaughn kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight Syd."

"'Night Vaughn."

Jack pulled up outside Irina's house and took the keys out of the ignition. Irina could see that Sydney's light was on, and was eager to find out about what happened on her date with Michael.

"I had a really great time tonight Jack. You don't know how much tonight meant to me." She gently placed a chaste kissed on his lips and quickly got out of the car before he had chance to say anything. She opened the door and quickly shut it, leaving Jack confused in his car. She leaned her back against the door and thought about what she just did. _Did I just kiss Jack? _


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Irina sighed, walking up the stairs to Sydney's room. The light was still on in her room, telling Irina that she was still awake. She gently knocked on the closed door, and waited to hear her daughter's voice.

"Come in." Sydney called. Irina slowly opened the door and stepped into the room, smiling at her daughter. Sydney was sat in bed, a book opened on her lap. She closed it over as Irina kissed her gently on the top of her head and sat beside her.

"Have you just got back?" Sydney asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Irina nodded, and knew that she was blushing slightly, but she just hoped that Sydney didn't notice. "Yes, your father gave me a ride."

"Oh, where did he take you?" Sydney was curious about what was going on between her parents. The colour in her mother's cheeks was rising, causing Sydney to wonder just what had happened on the date.

"We went to Rossiya, it's a Russian restaurant. It was so nice, reminded me a lot of back home." Irina smiled and looked down at the bed, thinking about the evening that she had just spent with Jack. But no matter how hard she tried; one thought kept coming to the front of her mind. _I kissed Jack! _

"Sounds romantic." Sydney teased; earning her a playful hit on the arm by Irina.

"Stop trying to make it into something that it isn't." Irina told her. _Wait, isn't that exactly what I was trying to do by kissing him? I was trying to turn a perfect evening into something romantic, mistaking Jack's invitation as something more than him just wanting to have dinner with me. Did I honestly think that he had feelings for me again?_

Irina sighed, running her hands through her hair. "So…what happened with Michael?" Irina quickly changed the subject, wanting to get Jack out of her head, at least until she was alone and could figure out her feelings for him, whatever they may be.

Sydney's smile grew, and she picked up the rose, which she had placed next to her on the bed. Lifting it up to her nose again, she smelt the sweet scent, and it reminded her of him. _My new boyfriend._

"It was amazing. He made a picnic and we ate it on the beach. We just sat talking, and watching the sunset. It was so romantic." Sydney twirled the rose infront of her as she spoke to her mom. They used to do this when she was dating Danny; everytime Sydney came home after a date, her and Irina would talk for hours about it. It was almost like they were best friends; not mother and daughter.

"Are you two officially a couple now?" She was watching as her daughter's smile kept getting wider, her eyes shining brightly.

"He called me his girlfriend," Sydney gushed. Irina mirrored her smile, her troubles with Jack pushed to the back of her mind.

"That's great sweetheart!" Irina hugged her, and caught a glance of the clock next to Sydney's bed. "I think it's time we both got some sleep." _Or in my case, lay there and think about the fact that I kissed Jack!_ Irina said goodnight, and walked into her own bedroom.

She slipped into her pyjamas, turned off the light, and climbed into bed. She snuggled down into the warm covers, even though it was a warm night and every body else in the city probably had the AC on full blast. Sighing, she closed her eyes hoping that she would be able to fall quickly asleep. But the minute she closed her eyes she could see Jack's puzzled face, after she had kissed him and made a quick exit out of the car. _Seriously what was I thinking? _She groaned and pulled the covers up over her head, trying to block out the images of Jack. _What am I gonna do when I see him tomorrow? _Irina sat upright in the bed; her eyes suddenly wide open. Realising that she would undoubtedly run into Jack at work the next day, she began to panic. _What am I going to say? 'Hey Jack, yeah I'm really sorry about kissing you last night. I never meant to do it!' _She sighed at how lame that sounded. _I'm just going to have to avoid him all day, however hard that maybe. _

Sydney woke the next morning to find that her mother had already left for work. _That's not like her!_ She packed her bag, and made some breakfast while she waited for Vaughn. _Are we going to act like a couple when we're at school?_ Sydney's mind filled with questions. She wanted to spend time with Michael, no matter what Danny or anybody else might think. She also wanted to hang out with her friends and for them to get to know Vaughn better, which would inevitably result in a confrontation with Danny. If he found out that his friends, well their friends were hanging out with Sydney's new boyfriend he would go ballistic and they would never hear the end of it. The doorbell disrupted Sydney's thoughts, so she grabbed her things and went to answer it.

"Good morning." Vaughn smiled his voice sounding happier than usual.

"Hey!" Sydney shut closed the front door, tucking the keys into the front pocket of her jeans. She turned to face Vaughn, their faces only inches apart. Vaughn leaned forward and placed a soft gentle kiss on her lips. Sydney smiled into his lips, as she brought her hands up to cup his face.

"If we don't stop, we're gonna be late for school!" Vaughn joked as he broke the kiss. Sydney smiled shyly at him, and took his hand in hers and walked away from her house.

"So are you still gonna try and play matchmaker for Weiss and Paige." Vaughn asked as they got nearer to the school building. They had talked and laughed all the way to school, Sydney realising that Michael had a really great sense of humour.

"Yes I am! And you are still my little helper!" Vaughn jokingly groaned, causing Sydney to laugh at him.

"You do realise that when Weiss finds out that I helped set him up, he isn't going to be too pleased!" Sydney spotted Weiss walking towards them, so she quickly finished their conversation.

"Since when have you been afraid of Weiss?" She asked sarcastically, Vaughn detected her sarcastic tone, and rolled his eyes. "Just make sure that he's free tonight, don't make it obvious. Be subtle." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips, as Weiss stood opposite them.

Rolling his eyes at the display of affection, he cleared his throat. "Slowly back away from each other, or I'm going to have to turn around and make new friends." Weiss always managed to make Sydney laugh, even when his humour was directed towards her.

"It's ok Eric." Sydney noticed Paige talking to Phoebe and Francie by the fountain in the middle of the campus. "I'm just gonna go and talk to Paige. I'll see you guys at the hockey try-outs." She started to walk away and then turned back to Vaughn. "Don't forget what we talked about!" She winked at him, and walked towards her friends. Vaughn watched her walk away, his heart pounding in his chest. _I'm falling fast for that girl…_

"Do I even want to know what you guys were talking about?" Weiss asked as him and Vaughn carried on walking into school. Vaughn tore his eyes away from Sydney and looked at him.

"You know, truthfully, you really don't." Vaughn laughed at Eric's puzzled expression.

"Paige are we still on for this lunch time." Sydney asked, fidgeting with the hem on her top.

Paige smiled, and took her lollipop out of her mouth. "Yeah sure. It'll be good!" _Oh, you have no idea! _Sydney thought to herself, hoping that her little scheme would go to plan.

Sydney felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, and turned to see Piper, her eyes wide with anticipation. "Hi!" She was her usual perky self, her smile displaying a full set of pearly white teeth.

"Hi!" Sydney tried to match her happy tone, but ended up laughing at her own attempt.

"So spill…" Piper led her away from everybody else, so that she could hear the gossip about the date. She wasn't sure if everyone knew that Sydney had gone out with Michael, and she didn't want to be the one to spread Sydney's news.

The bell rang as the two girls walked arm in arm into the building, to their first class. "Ok, it was the best date that I have EVER been on. I mean it, it was that good." Sydney couldn't keep the smile off her face, but she wasn't complaining; she was happy and she didn't care who saw her. Even if it was Danny.

Sydney's news seemed to put Piper in an even better mood, as she started jumping up and down as they walked, asking for more details. "Where did you guys go?"

"To the beach. He had this whole picnic spread out on a blanket, and we just sat there eating and watching the sun go down. It could quite possibly be the most romantic thing that I have ever done!" They walked into their Geography class, and took their usual seats. The class was slowly filling with people, but Sydney and Piper were the only ones out of their group of friends who took the class. Even Danny wasn't gonna be in the room, which Sydney was pleased about.

"Why is it that only the European guys know anything about romance?" Piper joked, a half smile playing on her lips.

"Oh come on. Leo's romantic, I've seen some of the things he does for you. He definitely knows a thing or two. But you are right; Vaughn is definitely big on the romance thing, he keeps bringing me single white roses."

_Yeah, Syd's right. Leo is a romantic guy. I mean he's always showering me with gifts and surprise dates. God, I love him! But it seems that Sydney's in for more romance with Michael…_

"So are you two going out again?" 

Sydney paused for a minute, and looked towards the front of the class, the smile never once fading. "Well, you generally do go out a lot with your boyfriend…" Sydney started, hoping that Piper would understand what she was saying.

"Oh My God Syd!" Piper squealed, heads automatically turning in her direction. It was a good job that the teacher wasn't in the room yet, otherwise she would have had some explaining to do. "Hey how you doing?" She asked the people who were looking at her, causing them to take the gaze away from her. "Did he like ask you to go out with him?"

"I swear Courtney, I saw them with my own eyes. They were holding hands, laughing, and looking all gooey eyed." Danny looked up from his work at the two girls who were sat infront of him. The gossip that they were currently sharing caught his attention. He tried his hardest to make it look like he wasn't listening, when really he was hanging on their every word.

"The guy has only been here for a week, and already he's managed to shack up with the most popular girl in school. It'll only be a matter of time before he worms his way in with all of Sydney's friends and becomes one of the popular guys." Danny dropped his pen, his cheeks getting hotter. _So Syd's dating this jerk is she? Payback is just about to get a little bit sweeter!_

The rest of the morning went quite slowly, Sydney sat watching the clock, waiting for the lunch bell to ring. After what seemed like an eternity, Sydney was on her way to her locker to meet Paige so that they could quickly eat and head down to the ice rink.

Kennedy High was funded mainly for the sports. The football, baseball and hockey teams were among the best in the city, which resulted in the school being give the money to build all the facilities that they needed. The latest addition was the ice rink, which was sometimes used to host discos on ice, whenever it wasn't being used for practices or for games.

After eating a sandwich and a couple of fries, they excused themselves from the rest of the group and went down to the rink. A few other students were sitting in the stands, obviously there to support one of the players. Sydney took hold of Paige's hand and led her down the steps of the small stadium, and took a seat two rows from the front.

On the ice stood Coach Owen; a thirty year old guy who had been teaching at the school for five years. A lot of the girls at the school had crushes on the guy, but Sydney could never figure out why they liked him so much. Sure she thought that he was attractive, but that's about it; it wasn't like he had a great personality or anything. A group of guys surrounded the Coach; all sporting various hockey shirts, and skating boots.

Sydney immediately spotted Vaughn; the navy sweater that he was wearing contrasting well with the colour of his eyes. She remembered him wearing a similar top the day that they had gone the cinema, and again the shear sight of him managed to render her speechless. Weiss was standing next to him, a hockey stick in his hands, a smile on his face. Sydney glanced at Paige, who was just staring out onto the ice. _Time to put the plan into action._

"Right for those of you who don't already know, I am Coach Owen. Today's try-outs will determine if you have enough skills and talent to join Kennedy High's hockey team. During the next 40 minutes, we will do various exercises on the ice and conclude with a quick hockey game." He skated over to the edge of the rink, and came back with a bucket containing pucks. "Now pair up and each pair take a puck. I want you to just practice hitting the puck to each other."

Weiss collected a puck and skated back over to Vaughn. Dropping the puck, Weiss gently hit it over to Vaughn, who knocked it back to him.

Sydney still had her eyes fixed on Vaughn, amazed by his every move on the ice. "I've always been attracted to guys who play sports." Sydney started, hoping to strike up a conversation with Paige. She wasn't exactly lying; most of the guys that she had ever dated or had a crush on, played some kind of sport.

Paige looked at her, a small smile on her lips. "Yeah, I guess some guys who play sports are hot. Well they definitely have great bodies after all the practising and stuff." Paige rested her feet on the bench infront, her arms leaning on her knees.

This is gonna be harder than I thought… 

"This team looks like it's gonna be filled with hot guys."

"Yeah there are a few cute players." Paige had been watching this dark haired guy, who was definitely good looking, only he didn't seem to have much talent at standing upright on the ice. She tried to hide her laughter with her hand, as the guy took another fall, which was noticed by the coach.

"Of course there are. I mean, first you've got: Ryan Peterson, every girl thinks he's cute; Joshua Carter, he's a nice guy; Michael Vaughn, but I guess I'm a bit biased with that one; Eric Weiss, he's a hot and there's always…Danny?" Sydney's attention was drawn to her ex-boyfriend who was skating onto the rink towards the coach. "What is Danny doing here?" Sydney was confused; Danny hated ice hockey, the only sport that he would play or watch was football.

"Mr Hecht. Nice of you to join us, 10 minutes late." Danny threw him an apologetic look. "I have to say it's a surprise to see you here Mr Hecht. Is the football team not treating you so well?"

"I just thought I'd try something new that's all." He smiled at the Coach, and went and joined in with some of the other guys. He looked towards the stands and saw Sydney and Paige. _How sweet, she's obviously here to support lover boy. Well, we'll just have to make sure that we put on a good show._ Danny smirked and glared in Vaughn's direction. Vaughn's stomach had turned when he saw Danny skate onto the ice; he wasn't ready for another show off with Sydney's ex-boyfriend.

"Just ignore him." Weiss told Vaughn as they continued passing the puck.

The Coach skated among the players, making notes on a pad of paper. Vaughn had managed to avoid Danny so far, but he couldn't avoid the glares and looks of hatred that were constantly being thrown at him. He rolled his eyes as the Coach called everybody to into a group.

"For the last 20 minutes we're gonna play a little 15 on 15 game." He counted out 15 players sent them to one side of the rink. Sydney watched as Vaughn and Weiss were put on one team, Danny on the other. _This is not gonna end good._

As if by fate, the Coach assigned Danny to mark Vaughn. Danny couldn't help but smirk. _Time for payback. _

The game started quickly, Vaughn's team taking hold of the puck and successfully passing it towards the net. Danny followed Vaughn around the rink, intent on making him trip up. He made several attempts at putting his hockey stick by Vaughn's feet, but Vaughn managed to dodge each of his attempts.

Joshua Carter was gliding down the rink, towards Weiss who was standing in the goal. A player from the other team was coming towards him, so he quickly hit the puck to Danny. Danny took the puck and aimed at the net, imagining the puck was Vaughn. He hit it hard, but Weiss stopped it from entering the net.

"That's for being a total jerk to my best friend." He hit the puck to somebody on his team, and watched the disappointed look on Danny's face. He had missed the perfect chance to score a goal, and in doing so missed the opportunity to look better than Vaughn, who hadn't scored yet either.

Sydney had stopped worrying about Danny; he just wasn't worth it. "Did you see how Weiss stopped that puck from going in?"

"Yeah I did. He's a really good player!" Sydney smiled. _YES! She's noticed him. First step complete. _

Vaughn had the puck, and was quickly skating to the net. Danny skated infront of him, intent on blocking the shot at the goal. Vaughn stood still on the ice, the puck still resting on his stick. Danny glared at him, his eyes cold and full of anger. Sighing, Vaughn made eye contact with him, the other players watching in anticipation.

Up in the stands, Sydney's mouth had gone dry as she watched Danny standing infront of Michael. _Danny won't do anything, not with all these people here, _Sydney tried to convince herself.

"Move out of the way Danny." Vaughn told him, but Danny didn't budge.

"Not a chance. I'm not letting you take that shot. You think you're so big just because you managed to steal my girlfriend. But somebody needs to put you back in your place." His voice was harsh, and low enough so that only Vaughn could hear him.

"Oh and I take it that that somebody is you? Let me tell you something Danny, you don't scare me, you never have, and probably never will. As for me stealing you girlfriend…I never stole her. I suggest that you try and learn how to treat a lady and then they might stick around for longer." Vaughn quickly hit the puck forward, causing it to fly straight through Danny's legs and into the back of the net. "Thanks for helping me take the shot!" Vaughn winked at him, and skated away just as the Coach blew the whistle.

"Excellent playing everybody. The team list will be posted on the board outside the gym tomorrow morning. Thank you for coming." The Coach collected the pucks and then headed of the ice. Danny felt like he was frozen to the ice. He had come to the try-outs to make a fool out of Vaughn, but ended up being made the fool.

Seeing that it was the end of the game, Sydney stood up and walked to the front row, followed by Paige. Vaughn and Weiss skated over to them, a smile on both of their faces. Sydney greeted Vaughn with a peck on the lips, and smiled at Weiss.

"Hey. Nice game you two!" Sydney kept her arm around Vaughn's neck, keeping him close to her, although there was a fence between them.

"Thanks." They both replied simultaneously.

"Oh I'm sorry. Weiss this is my friend Paige." Vaughn gave Sydney an I-can't-believe-you're-doing-this-look, causing Sydney to laugh.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you." Weiss flashed her a charming smile. He had seen Paige around school, but they had never actually spoken. They were both part of two very different circles of people who just never mixed.

"Likewise." Paige returned his smile.

"We should go and get changed." Vaughn started, looking down at his shirt and pants. He had small beads of sweat on his forehead, the rest of his face slightly red with the heat. "Do you two want to meet us outside?"

Sydney looked at Paige who nodded. "Sure." She leaned forward and kissed Vaughn again, and then her and Paige headed back up the steps, while the two guys skated to the shower room.

"So what did you think of Eric?" Sydney asked innocently, as her and Paige sat waiting on a bench outside of the changing rooms.

"He's cute!" Paige shrugged, smiling.

"Yeah he's a really great guy." Sydney stopped talking as the doors opened, and the two guys walked over to them. The girls stood up and the four of them walked down the corridor talking about the try-outs.

"Have you been playing hockey for long?" Paige asked, as she and Eric walked slightly ahead of Sydney and Vaughn. Vaughn had his arm around her shoulders, bringing her into his embrace. They both smiled and looked at each other, as they witnessed their two friends talking.

"It looks like our plan is going to work!" Sydney whispered.

Vaughn laughed a little too loudly causing Weiss to look at him. "Our plan? More like your plan!" Vaughn corrected her.

"Whatever!" Sydney rolled her eyes, trying to keep in her laughter. "Did you find out if Weiss was free tonight?" Vaughn nodded.

"Hey you guys?" Paige and Weiss turned to look at Sydney. "Do you two want to hang out with us tonight? We could go bowling or something!"

Weiss looked at Paige, waiting to see her response. Even though he had only just started talking to her, he thought that she seemed like a nice person. He definitely wanted to hang out with her some more.

"Sure. It sounds like fun." Paige smiled at the three of them, and then they all turned their attention to Weiss.

"Ok, count me in."


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Irina took a sip of her coffee and smiled. _So far so good! _She had woken up earlier that morning, in the hopes of avoiding running into Jack in the car park. _Mission accomplished!_ As soon as her classes had started, she hadn't left the classroom, and no one apart from her students had entered the room. When the lunch bell rang, she quickly dashed out to her car, and drove to Starbucks, not wanting to eat in the teacher's lounge where Jack might be. _I may just make it through the day without running into him. _

Walking back to her car, coffee cup in hand, Irina took out her cell phone, noticing that she had one missed call. She rested the coffee cup on the roof of her car, as she looked for who the call was off.

September 07, 12:27pm 

**Jack**

Irina sighed as she flipped her phone down and took another sip of her drink. _Why did I have to kiss him? _She climbed back into her car and drove slowly back to work.

Jack looked around the teacher's lounge for what had to be the tenth time, and he still couldn't see Irina. He knew that she wasn't in the room, but his eyes kept searching for her. _She kissed me! _That one thought had been running through his mind since the minute it happened. He wanted to talk to her about it, but that was easier said that done. _Why do I get the feeling that Irina is avoiding me?_

Arvin Sloane was sitting in the seat next to Jack. They had been talking for the past couple of minutes, but Jack couldn't seem to pay attention to a word that Arvin was saying. All that he could think about was Irina. _She kissed me, and given the chance I would have kissed her back._

"So this is your room!" Vaughn stood in the doorway taking in every detail, his arm loosely wrapped around Sydney's waist. After school finished, Sydney had asked Vaughn if he wanted to come and hang out at her house until they had their 'double date.' Her mom had said something about errands to run, but Sydney wasn't convinced. Ever since her mother had returned from dinner with her father she had been acting really weird. During their Eng. Lit class this afternoon, her eyes were constantly on the door everytime the sound of somebody walking down the corridor could be heard.

"Yeah!" Sydney left the comfort of Vaughn's embrace and walked into her room, kicking off her shoes next to the bed. Vaughn followed her into the room, and took a seat on the bed. Her room was painted light blue, contrasted by the dark blue curtains, which hung either side of the window. Her double bed was on the far side of the room, and Vaughn couldn't help but smile at the cute little teddy bear that was resting on her pillow.

Noticing that the answering machine was beeping, Sydney pressed the play button:

Hey sweetie, I was just calling to see if you wanted to do something tonight, but I ran into Paige and she told me that you guys were doing something, so nevermind. How are you? I feel like we haven't spoken for ages Sydney smiled as she listened to Francie's bubbly voice. Vaughn tried to make it look like he wasn't listening, which was kind of hard considering Francie's voice filled the room. So are you all ready for the game tomorrow? I can't believe that there's a football game already and we've only been back in school for a week! But at least the routine should be ok _Oh no! I totally forgot about cheerleading for the game tomorrow night!_ Anyways, call me later! Love you The message came to an end, leaving a smile on Sydney's face. Her and Francie always left each other messages on their answering machines, even when they had been hanging out together. It was like a tradition that they had been keeping for nearly four years.

"What time are we meeting Weiss?" Sydney asked, sitting next to Vaughn on the bed.

Vaughn looked at his watch. "He's coming to pick us up at 7:00pm."

"Wait Weiss drives? He has a car?" Sydney was amazed at this new piece of information. She had absolutely no idea that Weiss knew how to drive; probably because before Vaughn came along, her and Weiss never actually talked.

"Yeah…" Vaughn replied in a you-don't-say kinda voice. Receiving a glare from Sydney, he carried on talking in his normal voice. "He passed his test before the summer I think he said!"

"Oh well we can pick Paige up on the way!" Sydney smiled, excited as she wondered how her plan was going to work.

"I still can't believe that you're trying to set them up. Do you even know if they like each other?"

"No, not exactly. But that's not the point. They'll get to hang out and we'll just see how things go!" She picked up the nearest cushion and threw it at him. "You should never question my match-making skills!" Vaughn raised his eyebrows at her comment.

"It's your match-making skills that I'm worried about!" Sydney's mouth fell open as she pushed him down onto the bed. He looked up at her a mischievous grin on his face.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I have made some good matches! I'd offer to set you up with somebody, but I wouldn't want to be responsible for inflicting that kind of torture on anybody!" She laughed as she joked with him.

"Well then, it looks like you're the unlucky girl who's stuck with me…" He finally closed the gap between them, his lips meeting with hers.

"I'd say I was pretty lucky myself!" Sydney whispered, a half smile covering her lips. She rested her head on his chest, her hand playing with the wrinkles in his T-shirt. His hands were resting comfortingly on her back, his chin leaning down against her head; the scent of her shampoo tingling with his senses.

The silence was broken by Vaughn's laughter. "I'm sorry Sydney, but I have to ask…what is with this teddy bear?" He picked up the teddy bear in question and held it so she could see. She buried her head in his chest, her cheeks reddening.

"I've had it since I was a baby. It's just there for decoration…I promise!" She smiled shyly at him, causing Vaughn to start laughing again. _She is so cute when she is embarrassed. _

"But I doubt I'll need him anymore…you're much more cuddlier." Smiling sweetly, she hugged him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Her comment made Vaughn smile, as he rested his head on hers.

"Come on man keep up!" Leo yelled as his car over took Cole's. Cole took his eyes away from the TV screen long enough to glare at his friend, but when he looked back, his car had crashed into a tree.

"Just because your glued to the Playstation and get to practise whenever you want, doesn't mean that I'm an expert too, you know!" Leo rolled his eyes and carried on playing the game.

Phoebe couldn't help but laugh. Cole had never been a good loser, especially not at video games. Piper, Phoebe, and Prue were sat on Leo's couch, digging into a big bag of MMs that Prue found in one of the kitchen cupboards.

"Aha! I win!" Leo smiled triumphantly at Cole, who threw a couple of MMs in his direction.

"Whatever!" Cole pretended to sulk, putting down the game controller and sitting down on the floor infront of Phoebe. She ran her hands through his hair as his head rested back against her legs.

"Ok, no need to be angry just because you lost." Leo teased.

"Hey, can we not be mean to my boyfriend please?" Phoebe asked, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his neck, planting soft kisses along his neck.

Andy walked back from the kitchen carrying some cans of soda. He noticed the playful glares that Cole and Leo were throwing each other and laughed. "Ok, what did I miss?" He put the cans down on the table and sat down.

"Cole sucked at the game! That's all." Leo laughed and ducked, as Phoebe launched a pillow at his head.

"What do you guys want to do now?" Piper asked, discarding of the empty sweet wrapper.

"We could watch a movie…" Prue suggested, looking over at the huge stack of dvds that were next to the TV.

Sydney stood next to the microwave, watching as the jacket potatoes slowly rotated to the hum of the machine. She heard Vaughn walk into the kitchen, and turned to face him as he leaned back against the kitchen table. The room was filled with a comfortable, as neither felt the need for words; their eyes were giving away much more than any words ever could. The ting of the microwave caused Sydney to look away to get their snack ready.

"So did you get bored of watching TV?" She asked as she put the potatoes onto two separate plates and covered them in baked beans.

"No, I just got lonely!" His voice sounded similar to that of a child's, causing Sydney to throw him a sarcastic look. He laughed as she handed him the plate.

"I know I'm no gourmet chef or anything, but I'm thinking that this should be edible!" She looked down at the jacket potato as they walked into the living room.

"Gee, that's comforting!" He deadpanned, taking a seat on the couch. Will and Grace was on the TV in the background, the audiences laughter occasionally filling the living room.

Sydney gently hit his arm, as she took a bite of her potato. _Well at least I'm still alive!_ She thought, the minute she'd swallowed her first piece. Her mother never let her do any of the cooking, unless she was there to supervise. An unsupervised Sydney in the kitchen normally led to disaster and a bad case of food poisoning.

"I love this show!" Sydney started laughing along with the jokes in between mouthfuls. Vaughn rolled his eyes as he turned his attention the programme. He didn't have a clue what it was; he hadn't watched much TV since he had moved there.

"What is this?"

"It's Will and Grace! Only like one of the greatest comedies!" She smiled brightly at him. "It's basically about this woman, Grace, and her best friend Will. They live together and they would be the perfect couple, if only Will wasn't gay! And then there's their best friend Jack who is also gay, and rather funny, and Karen who works with Grace and she always manages to make me laugh!" Vaughn nodded, but his attention was now far from the television. He was watching Sydney out of the corner of his eye.

Her eyes were glued to the screen, a smile firmly placed on her lips. Everytime something funny was said, her head would fall backwards as she burst out with laughter. _Could she be any cuter? _

The programme came to an end, and they both finished what they were eating. Sydney gathered up the plates and put them in the dishwasher, and smiled as a pair of arms came across her stomach. She turned her head slightly to see Vaughn's head resting on her shoulder.

"Thanks for dinner!" He grinned and leaned forward, kissing her gently on the cheek.

"Well the main thing is that you're still alive!" She laughed. Looking at her watch, she disentangled herself from his embrace and walked towards the stairs. "Weiss is gonna be here in 20 minutes. I'm just gonna go and get ready!" She gave him a small smile as she ran up the stairs to her room, to chose an outfit.

Vaughn answered the door, to find Eric standing on the doorstep, fidgeting with his car keys.

"Hey man, come in." Vaughn stood aside and let him in. Closing the door he shouted up the stairs to Sydney. "Syd, Weiss is here!" The two guys walked into the living room, but the minute they sat down Sydney came bounding down the stairs.

"Hi Weiss!" She smiled as both their heads turned to look at her. She was dressed casually in jeans and a stripy blue top, her hair falling loosely down her back. Even though she was casually dressed, Michael thought that she had never looked more beautiful.

"You look great Syd!" He complemented her.

"Yeah you do." Eric commented, standing up. He too was dressed casually, in dark blue cargo pants and a white T-shirt.

"Thanks guys." _You best keep your complements for Paige! _Sydney laughed to herself as the three of them walked out of the house, Sydney's hand comfortingly placed in Vaughn's.

Vaughn sat in the front seat next to Weiss, while Sydney opted for the back seat. The drive to the Halliwell house was fairly quick, and soon enough they were waiting outside after Weiss beeped the horn. A minute or two later, the front door flew open, and Paige skipped down the steps and into the car.

"Hey." She greeted them all as she got in and closed the door. After a chorus of hellos the pulled away from her house. She too was dressed in jeans, and a red vest top.

"Is everyone in the Manor?" Sydney asked curiously.

"No, they all went over to Leo's with Cole and Andy I think."

_I wonder if Danny went…_ Sydney stopped herself. _Why should I care if he hangs out with them? It's not like their not his friends aswell…_

Paige seemed to read the expression on Sydney's face. "No one else went. It was just the 6 of them." Sydney gave her a half smile, silently thanking her for putting her thoughts to rest, and hopefully out of mind.

"You know what I totally forgot about? The game tomorrow! I totally forgot that we were cheering." Eric heard them talking and looked at them through his rear view mirror.

"You guys are cheering at the game tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it should be fun!" Paige answered, smiling.

"Why? Are you going?" Sydney asked looking from him to Vaughn and then back to Weiss.

"Yeah, I thought it was time that Mickey here went to his first football game!" Sydney looked at Vaughn and judging by the look of shock on his face, this was the first that he had heard of his plans for tomorrow night.

"Ok, Weiss I've told you before…do not call me Mickey! I don't like it." Weiss rolled his eyes, but kept his sight on the road. "And besides, we do have football in France!"

Now it was Weiss's turn to roll his eyes. "No Mickey. I think you'll find that that is called soccer!" Sydney and Paige laughed.

"Fine. Whatever. I'll go." Vaughn gave in, but then the prospect of going to a football game wasn't that bad. _After all Sydney will be there, dressed in her cheerleading uniform! If I hate the game, I can just look at her for the whole time. _He smiled to himself, suddenly exited about tomorrow night.

"So I guess we'll be seeing you both there then!" Sydney looked at Michael, and he knew that she was thinking about how Paige and Eric were gonna get to see each other again tomorrow night.

They finally pulled up outside the bowling alley, and everybody got out of the car, laughing at a joke that Weiss had just told. Sydney linked her arm through Paige's as they walked through the main door, Weiss, and Vaughn following behind.

They stood in the queue waiting to pay for their alley and to get their bowling shoes. Sydney was stood next to Vaughn, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Paige noted how much happier Sydney looked than she ever did with Danny; her and Vaughn just looked so comfortable together.

"Hi, can we have a lane please?" Weiss asked as he produced a wallet from his back pocket.

"Sure." The guy behind the counter typed some numbers on the computer.

"Eric what are you doing?" Sydney asked, nodding towards his open wallet.

"It's my treat." He smiled at Sydney and then at Paige, who mirrored his smile.

"That'll come to 25." Eric handed over 30 and waited for his change. The cashier guy gave them each the correct shoes and the group walked over to a row of chairs.

"Thanks Eric." Paige said. She had to admit that it was sweet of him to pay for them all; even though he had only known Paige for a day and Sydney for just over a week.

"Don't mention it." He smiled and tied the laces on his shoes. "Wow, don't they really make bowling shoes attractive!" He joked as everybody else fastened the green and red shoes.

The sound of the balls hitting the wooden pins filled their ears as they made their way down to their aisle. Next to them was a young woman with four kids, who seemed to be having a great time. Paige knew immediately that this was going to be a disaster. She hadn't been bowling for a while; and on those occasions that she actually did bowl, she had a very hard time knocking down the pins, or even keeping the ball in the right lane.

Vaughn sat down and typed everybody's into the computer, while Weiss wondered off looking for the perfect bowling ball. He finally returned carrying a large red shiny ball.

"Weiss your first!" Sydney took a seat on Vaughn's knee, his arms wrapped around her waist. They all watched as Weiss held the ball in his right hand, did a small run, and let the ball speed down the aisle, knocking over all the pins.

"Wohoo!" Sydney and Paige both cheered and clapped, as Weiss turned around and bowed.

"Nicely done Eric." Paige told him, as he took a seat next to her.

"Thanks." His cheeks coloured slightly as he smiled. Vaughn removed his arms from Sydney's waist so that she could go up and have her go. After spending a couple of minutes picking a ball that she could pick up, she sent it down the aisle, hitting the pins, but leaving 3 still standing.

She waited for them to be picked up again, and took another ball. She focused on the remaining 3 pins and rolled the ball towards them, but the ball managed to dodge each.

Sydney sighed and sat back down. "I was close!" She shrugged.

Paige walked towards the pins, ball in hand. Taking a deep breath, she swung her arm back and then let the ball go. She watched as it went straight but then curved, falling straight into the gutter that was either side of the lane. She laughed as she had another go. _Bowling is definitely not my game! _

She rolled the ball, and managed to knock over the 2 outside pins. She jumped up and down on the spot and then returned to her seat, a huge grin on her face. "I hit two of them!"

"Yeah you nearly had a strike there!" Sydney said sarcastically, causing Paige to pull tongues at her.

"Hey! It's an improvement." Vaughn got up and took his go, while Paige talked to Sydney and Weiss. "At least it stayed in our lane and not the lady's next to us." She sighed contentedly, as Eric threw her a puzzled look. "Oh, trust me – it's happened!" She explained, watching as his confusion was replaced with laughter.

Sydney silently watched them as they talked; they were both laughing and talking as if they had known each other for ages. It would be hard for somebody to realise that they only started talking earlier that day.

Vaughn sat back down, a grin on his face. Sydney looked down the aisle and noticed that all the pins had been knocked down. "Somebody's done this before…" She stated.

"Well, France does have bowling alleys you know!"

"Really?" Sydney acted like she was shocked, but Vaughn knew that she was teasing him. "I would never have known." She smiled sheepishly at him, as he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Eric cleared his throat and they both broke away to look at him. "What did I tell you guys?" The both looked up at him clueless. "That you have to stop with the acting all lovey-dovey. Or I'm gonna have to find new friends!" Paige laughed, as both Sydney and Vaughn pouted at him. "Don't be pulling the old pout trick on me…it's just not gonna work!" Weiss laughed to himself as he walked past them and picked up the red ball. _Haha, teasing with them is fun! _

Sydney stood up and sat back down on Vaughn's knee, snuggling back into his chest. "How unfair is this. I'm not even allowed to kiss my own boyfriend!" She looked at Vaughn, her eyebrow arched. In the background she could hear the sound of pins being knocked over, but she wasn't concentrating on that. All that mattered to her was the arms that were wrapped around her and the pair of eyes that were infront of her. _I could get lost in those eyes…_

"Well, Weiss is a little busy right now!" Vaughn observed, as Weiss picked up another bowling pin. "And what Weiss doesn't see, can't hurt." Sydney smiled as her hand came up behind his neck, pulling his face closer to hers. Their lips met and Vaughn hugged her even closer to him. They broke apart, their foreheads resting against each other.

"Don't think I didn't see that!" Weiss yelled, his back still towards them, bowling ball in hand. Sydney's mouth fell open as she turned to Vaughn. She couldn't believe that he had caught them even when his back was turned. They both rolled their eyes and watched as Eric managed to get yet another strike.

"Remind me again why we're watching a scary movie?" Phoebe shouted from behind the pillow. Leo had suggested that they watch Nightmare on Elm Street, and the other two guys had agreed. Now they were sat in the dark, Andy and Prue snuggled on one chair; Phoebe, Cole, Piper and Leo on the coach. Phoebe had spent the majority of the film hiding either behind the cushion, or with her head buried in Cole's chest. Horror movies had never been her thing.

"Because they're fun!" Leo replied. He was sat with his arm around his girlfriend, who was cuddling into his chest.

"Yeah sure. Because being scared half to death is the height of fun!" She replied sarcastically, screaming and putting her head against Cole's chest as yet another gruesome thing happened on the screen.

"Aww, Pheebs, don't be such a baby." Piper teased. She was quite enjoying the film, she wasn't usually a scary film kinda person, but she liked this one.

"You're forgetting that I am the baby. I am the youngest person here!" She stated - her voice barely audible as the pillow was infront of her face.

"Well you could always go and sit in another room…" Prue suggested.

"Are you kidding me?" Her voice rose a pitch higher. "I am not leaving the room. There could be somebody out there!" Everyone rolled their eyes and continued to watch the film, but Phoebe shut her eyes, determined not to open them until the film ended.

Paige groaned as yet another ball failed to knock any pins over. "Seriously, why can't I bowl?" She asked sinking down into a seat. Looking at the score board, she sighed, realising that she was losing, and was nowhere close to the other scores.

"Come here…" Weiss took hold of her hand and led her towards the pins. Picking up a ball, he handed it to her. "Bowling a la Weiss!" She laughed, but then became serious as he started talking again.

Sydney and Vaughn watched from their seats. "See there is definitely some attraction there. They just needed a push in the right direction!" She smiled sweetly at him then continued to watch her friends.

Paige had the ball in her right hand and Weiss was standing right behind, his hand covering hers. "Right look straight down that lane at the pins, and then you smoothly swing your arm back and then as it comes forward we let it go." They released the ball and watched as it knocked over 9 of the pins.

"Oh. My. God." She turned around and threw her arms around his neck. "I did…well we did it! Thanks Eric." She moved back so that she could look at him, their faces inches apart.


	25. chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"It was my pleasure." He assured her, giving her a dazzling smile. Paige was captivated by his eyes, and found herself smiling back at him. Sydney was well aware of just how close they were; she was holding her breath waiting to see what was going to happen next.

Paige suddenly felt self conscious, her arms still hanging around his neck, only a small distance separating their faces. She broke eye contact with him, and removed her arms, a sheepish smile replacing the more flirtatious one that she had given him only moments before. Sydney let out a sigh, and averted her eyes, so that neither of them would know that she had been watching. Vaughn watched her, an amused smile on his lips.

Without saying another word, Paige and Eric sat down with Sydney and Vaughn. Silence surrounded the four of them, until Paige spoke.

"Sydney? Shall we go and get some drinks or something?" Paige suggested, nodding over at the refreshment counter. Something in Paige's voice told Sydney that drinks were the last thing on Paige's mind, so she quickly accepted.

"Sure. You guys want anything?" She asked Michael and Eric, while taking a ten-dollar bill out of her back pocket.

"Yeah, I'll just have a soda please." Vaughn answered.

"No thanks, I'm good."

Sydney followed Paige to the counter and joined the back of the queue. "So what's up?" She asked, folding her arms infront of her chest, a sympathetic look on her face.

"You're probably going to laugh at me for saying this," Sydney urged her to go on. "Was tonight a double date?" Sydney held her eye contact for a few seconds, before looking to the front of the queue. "Ok…you're not laughing."

Sydney turned to face her again, and opened her mouth to speak, but found no words coming out.

"Sydney!" Paige's voice rose, wanting her to tell the truth.

"Ok. It wasn't a double date as such…but I found out that Weiss was single and I wanted to set him up with someone. And you seemed like the perfect match. We just wanted to get you both to hang out…"

"Wait. We?"

Sydney quickly realized her mistake. "Yeah, me and Vaughn. It was totally all Vaughn's idea!" Paige looked at her questioningly, her eyebrow arched. "Ok, so it was my idea! I made Michael help, even though he didn't want to." Sydney admitted, smiling shyly at her friend. "Look if you're not interested, then that's ok. Weiss doesn't know about me wanting to set you up, so you don't have to go along with it." They moved closer to the front of the queue.

"I never said that I wasn't interested." Paige corrected her, her cheeks blushing slightly from her revelation. Sydney's smile grew as she let out a girlish high-pitched squeal, earning her funny looks from the people infront of her.

"Oh. My. God! You like him! Don't try to deny it, because I can tell that you do!" Paige sighed, knowing that she was never going to get Sydney to believe anything other than the truth.

"Yes I like him. Happy now?"

"Very!"

"Vaughn?" The two guys were sat waiting for Sydney and Paige to return with some drinks. Vaughn had occupied himself, watching the guy in the next lane get strikes each time he bowled. Weiss was too busy thinking about Paige and how close he had been to kissing her before. He had this sinking feeling that if she hadn't of moved away from him when she did, he would have made his move and tried to kiss her. Although they had only properly known each other for a couple of hours, Weiss was attracted to her; she was fun to be with, pretty, smart. _She'd never look at me that way…after all it's not like I'm one of the popular jocks or anything…_

"Yeah?" Vaughn tore his eyes away from the next lane and looked at his friend.

"Was tonight meant to some sort of double date?" He rested his arms on his knees, leaning forward slightly, his eyes focused on the floor. Vaughn ran his hand through his hair and sighed. _There is no way that I can lie to him._

"Yeah kinda. Sydney had this idea that you and Paige would make a great couple, so she wanted for you two to meet and see whether you guys got along or not." Vaughn admitted, knowing that Sydney would probably kill him later for revealing her secret plan.

"Oh."

"I tried telling her that you might not like being set up…"

"Did Paige know?" Weiss sat up, and looked Vaughn in the eye, wanting an honest answer.

"No, neither of you did. Listen I'll tell Sydney to drop the idea, it's not big deal!"

"No, don't do that." Weiss stopped him.

Vaughn paused as he registered what Weiss was saying. "Wait, you like her?" Weiss nodded.

"What's not to like! I think she's great." Weiss admitted, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Vaughn grinned.

"This is great."

"Maybe I should set up my own match making business!" Sydney joked, causing Paige to roll her eyes. They had just paid for their order and were now waiting for their drinks. Paige was about to respond to Sydney's joke, when somebody behind them started talking.

"Hey." They both turned their heads to see a tall, blonde guy with a strong British accent, smiling at Sydney.

"Hi." She responded politely, throwing Paige a confused look.

"I'm Julian Sark, but you can call me Sark. We go to the same high school."

Sydney cleared her throat. "Yeah I know who you are. You're quarterback on the football team right?" She asked already knowing the answer. She always cheered at the football games, and when her and Danny had been dating; he had introduced her to a few members of the team. One of them being Mr. Sark.

"Yeah I am." Paige looked away, as Sark continued to smile flirtatiously at her best friend. _This is definitely one of those 'Three's a crowd' moments!_

"So, I heard about what happened with you and Danny. And if you ask me, you're better off without that jerk," Sark was slowly moving towards Sydney, trying to block Paige out of the conversation so that she wouldn't hear him.

"Really is that right?" Sydney replied sarcastically. She could feel a yawn coming on; _this guy is boring me now…_

"Yeah, so I was wondering if maybe you wanted to o out sometime or something?"

Sydney felt a pair of arms wrap around her stomach, and turned her head slightly to see Vaughn pulling her into his embrace. He had been coming over to tell her about Eric liking Paige, when he spotted a guy coming on to her. _I've only just got her in my life; I'm not about to lose her._

"Hey baby. I missed you." Sydney turned and gave Vaughn a passionate kiss, both for Sark's benefit, and mostly for her own. They broke away and smiled at each other, Sydney pulling Vaughn's arm's even tighter around her.

"I'm sorry what was that you were saying?" Paige couldn't help but laugh at the defeated look on Sark's face.

"Nothing. It obviously doesn't matter anymore." Sark smirked, trying to hide his disappointment, and walked back to his friends.

The guy behind the counter handed three drinks to Paige, who walked back to their aisle, leaving Sydney still in Vaughn's arms.

"Who was that?" Vaughn asked, his voice showing a small sign of jealousy.

"Some jock from school. You have the perfect timing has anyone every told you that?" She asked, linking their fingers together as they walked back towards Paige and Weiss.

"No they haven't actually." He smiled. "Anyway, I was coming to tell you something. While you two were getting chatted up," Sydney playfully hit his stomach. "Me and Weiss were talking, and he found out that this was kind of a double date. I offered to tell you that he wasn't interested, but then he told me that he was." Sydney stopped walking and looked at Weiss and Paige, a huge grin on her face.

"This is perfect! Paige admitted the exact same thing to me! She likes him. And he likes her! I should really do this more often!" Sydney laughed, watching Paige and Weiss talk.

"Hey, don't be getting cocky!" Vaughn wrapped his arm around her waist, and led her back to her friends.

Irina had the stereo on, a glass of wine in her hand, as she read one of her favourite novels. She was feeling quite pleased with herself, that she had managed to avoid an awkward confrontation with Jack. _Hopefully he will forget about the whole encounter, and we can go back to having our usual sarcastic conversations, with now idea of how either of us feels!_

She took another sip of her drink, and flipped over the page. Sydney had gone out for the night with Michael and Paige, so the house was silent, except for the soft, soothing music. She heard a loud knock, which definitely wasn't part of the music. Setting her glass down on the table infront of her, she tightened her dressing gown and walked towards the door. _Maybe Sydney's forgotten her house keys…_She looked at her watch, and seeing that it was ten o'clock, she ruled Sydney out as the person behind the door.

She opened the door, to see Jack Bristow pacing on the doorstep. Irina considered closing the door again and acting like she had never opened it, but Jack turned and looked at her before she had a chance.

"Hi." He stood still and smiled at her.

"Hey Jack. It's late, what are you doing here?" She asked, hoping that he wouldn't mention the kiss.

"I need to talk to you. I tried finding you today, but you were nowhere to be found. It was like you were ignoring me or something."

_Here it comes…_Irina could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her breath deepening as she searched for an explanation for why she had kissed him.

"I had a lot of things to do today." _Avoid the truth…that's good! Now if only I could avoid Jack._

"Oh, ok." He placed his hands in his pockets, his fingers scratching away at the fabric. "About last night…"

"Look, I'm just going to apologise for that now. I don't know what came over me, it was foolish and stupid and will never happen…" Jack stopped her from finishing that sentence, his lips automatically finding hers. She knew in her mind that it was wrong, but she found herself kissing him back.

"So it seems like we drew!" Weiss stated the obvious, as he looked at the scoreboard. Him and Vaughn had come first, Paige second and Sydney third.

"Yep, we did."

"Hey, the important thing is that I didn't come last!" Paige smiled. She couldn't believe that she hadn't lost the game like she always did.

"That is only because Weiss helped you everytime. My boyfriend didn't do a thing to help me!" Sydney teasingly moaned. Vaughn walked towards her, and placed both hands on her hips.

"Will this help?" He whispered, leaning forward to kiss her. Sydney smiled into his lips as she kissed him back, her hands stroking his arms. Paige and Weiss looked away from them, both suddenly feeling awkward.

Paige's eyes wondered over the other aisles, while Weiss stared at the floor, searching for something funny to say, but he couldn't think of anything. _That has never happened to me before…_

Their eyes met, each smiling nervously not knowing what they should do. Sydney and Vaughn were still having their little couple moment, while Paige and Weiss were definitely having a moment, but neither knew what to do about it.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Vaughn asked, after him and Sydney had finished kissing. They both had huge grins on their faces, their hands linked together.

"Yeah." Paige and Weiss answered in unison.

Weiss talked to Paige on the way to the car, removing some of the awkwardness that had surrounded them earlier. Sydney and Vaughn were too wrapped up in their own conversation to notice Paige linking her arm through Weiss's, whole smiled at her gesture.

Sydney and Paige sat in the back, Vaughn in the front next to Weiss. The car was silent as they left the car park, each of them trying to sort out the swirls of thoughts that had filled their minds.

Irina broke the kiss, her breath caught in her throat. Jack seemed just as breathless, and also a little shocked that she had kissed him back. She brushed her hair out of her face and looked at him.

"What was that for?" She asked, a small smile covering her lips. She had so many emotions about what had just happened. She was glad that he had kissed her, but at the same time she regretted it; it would only cause things to be more complicated between them.

"You kissed me last night, and then ran out of the car before I had time to respond. If you had given me time, I would have kissed you back. I just thought that you should outta know that." The moonlight was shining down on Irina' face, making her facial features even more beautiful.

"I…erm…" She searched for something to say, anything.

"I think we both just need some time." Jack could tell that Irina didn't know what to say, she needed time; and the truth was that he did too.

"Ok." She barely heard her own voice as she spoke.

Jack nodded and walked back towards his car, driving away into the night. Irina remained on the doorstep for a few minutes, reliving everything that had just happened. She then went back inside, and downed the glass of wine.

Weiss pulled up outside Sydney's house, the keys still running in the ignition. They had stopped at Sydney's house first, seeing as it was closest to the bowling alley. Sydney kissed Paige on the cheek, and her and Vaughn opened the door to get out.

"Hey, where's my kiss?" Weiss joked, so Sydney got back in the car and kissed him on the cheek.

"There. Wouldn't have wanted you to moan all the way home now, would I?" Sydney smiled, and walked towards her house, Vaughn by her side.

"So you think love's gonna blossom in the car?" Sydney joked, nodding towards the car.

"Well, he's taking me home next, so who knows what will happen!" Sydney smiled and took a step closer to him.

"I think we make quite a good team!"

"We sure do!" Vaughn agreed, cupping her face and pulling her in for another kiss. The kiss lasted for a couple of seconds, they both broke away, their foreheads resting against each other.

"So I'll see you tomorrow!" Vaughn whispered.

"Yeah. Good night Michael." She gave him another quick kiss, waved to her friends in the car and walked into her house.

Vaughn sat back in the car, ready to be driven home. Five minutes later, they were parked outside his house. He said goodbye to them both, and got out of the car, watching as they drove away.

"So you all ready for the game tomorrow?" Weiss started to make conversation with her, as they drove up Prescot Street, where the Halliwell Manor was.

"Yeah, it should be a great game!" Paige was so psyched about cheerleading for tomorrow's game. The car came to a stop outside the Manor, and Weiss removed the keys from the ignition.

"Do you want me to walk you to your door?" He offered, looking at her in the rear-view mirror.

Paige considered his offer, and smiled. "Sure." They both stepped out of the car, walking up the stairs which led to Paige's house. Some of the lights were on upstairs; her sisters were probably home.

"I had a great time tonight Eric!" Paige told him, leaning back against her front door. Weiss smiled at her, happy that she had enjoyed herself.

"Yeah I did too. Who knew that bowling could be so much fun." He joked nervously.

Paige laughed. "Yeah." They both knew what usually happened at this part of a date, but both were anxious about making the first move. Weiss made eye contact with her, looking for any signals that she wanted him to kiss her. She was smiling sweetly at him, waiting for him to make some kind of move.

He held her gaze as he leaned inwards and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. Before she had time to respond, it was over.

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school." Weiss said, his cheeks getting hotter and hotter.

Paige nodded. "Yeah ok." Weiss gave her a final smile and walked back to his car.


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Irina tossed and turned all night, the thoughts of Jack's lips on hers preventing her from sleeping. If someone had told her a week ago, that she would have kissed Jack twice in a period of 24 hours, she would have laughed in their face. But here she was in that exact situation.

Things had changed between them over the years; they went from being a family to being another statistic. But suddenly things were changing again. He was no longer just her ex-husband to her; she was suddenly thinking about him in a totally different way, and that scared her.

A couple of blocks away, Jack Bristow sat on his porch swing, a cup of coffee in his hand. Although it was 5A.M he was finding it hard to sleep, and the porch swing seemed more inviting than his empty bed. Sipping the warm drink, he looked up at the sky, the blue fading more and more each second, turning slightly more orange as the sun came up. It had been a long time since he had watched the sun rise; usually he was asleep until 6:30. But sleep wasn't on the agenda, while his mind was racing with mixed emotions.

Irina. She was the reason for his sleepless night. Everything about their situation screamed 'run,' but Jack couldn't seem to turn away this time. He knew that him and Irina had failed once before, but something about the way he felt when he kissed her, made him think that they could work. He was still in love with her; he knew it…and deep down Irina probably knew it too.

Sighing, he rubbed his eyes and rested his head on his hands. _What am I going to do?_

A loud knock on the door disturbed Sydney from her dream. Glancing over the covers she saw her mom standing in the doorway. "Are you planning on getting up for school anytime soon?" She asked, her hand on her hips.

Sydney sighed and threw the covers back over her head. "Mom, it's still early." She shouted, her voice muffled by the thick duvet. She knew that she should probably be getting ready, but somehow she couldn't find the energy to get out of bed; she wanted to go back to the dream that she was having of her and Michael having a picnic on the beach.

"Come on. I'll give you a ride to school but only if you get your ass out of bed!" Irina walked out of her daughter's room and sat in the kitchen; Jack Bristow still taking over her mind.

Groaning, Sydney threw back the covers and scrabbled out of bed. Looking into the mirror only made matters worse, as a bad case of bed head had taken over her hair. She walked into the bathroom to switch on the shower, the smell of freshly cooked pancakes rising up the stairs.

"Hey guys." Paige walked into the kitchen, a huge smile on her face. Phoebe noticed that she was dressed in a new pair of jeans and a white top. Her hair was straight, falling loosely around her face. If Phoebe didn't know any better, she'd say that Paige was dressed to impress. _The only question is who?_

"Morning." A chorus of voices filled the kitchen. Paige smiled at each of her sisters and then took a glass and filled it with orange juice.

"You seem to be in a happy mood!" Prue observed, after watching the smile stay constantly fixed on Paige's face. She looked up innocently at her sister, her cheeks gaining a little extra colour.

"I am that's why! It's a lovely day outside; the sun is out, it looks like it's going to stay dry!" She looked out of the window, taking a sip of her juice.

The other three Halliwells looked at each other, each not believing a word that she was saying. It wasn't normal Paige behaviour for her to make comments on the weather; and she never usually let her moods be affected by whether or not the sun was shining.

"Ok, who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Phoebe joked, taking a bagel and cutting it open.

Paige rolled her eyes and looked at her. "Haha, very funny. Is it so unusual for me to be in a good mood?" She looked from Phoebe, to Piper and then to Prue; each of their faces looking questioningly at her, wanting answers.

"Yes!" Piper replied. "What happened when you and Sydney went out last night? Did you meet a guy?" She quizzed, a huge grin taking over her face. She put down her coffee and walked over to her sister. "Well did you?"

Paige laughed. "No. Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna be late for school." She gulped down the rest of her drink and walked out of the kitchen waving her hand behind her at them. Prue looked at the clock and then across at the doorway where her sister had just walked.

"Talk about being a little eager! School doesn't start for another forty minutes!" Piper shrugged. If there were something going on with Paige, they would have to wait until she was ready to tell them.

Paige sighed as she walked down the street. She felt bad lying to her sisters, but she wasn't even sure what was going on with Weiss. She hadn't spoken to him since last night, and for all she knew that kiss could have just been a one off.

Sydney glanced over at her mom, her eyes were fixed on the road, but Sydney knew that there was something else on her mind. Something besides driving. Except for the early morning wake up call that Sydney had received, her mother had barely said two words to her. Something was on her mind and Sydney had a relatively good idea about who to ask.

"Dad?" She tapped lightly on the classroom door. Classes weren't due to start for another twenty minutes, giving Sydney enough time to question her dad.

"Sydney! Come in." He smiled at her, trying his best to hide his surprise. He had been expecting to see Irina, but it looked like she was avoiding him again; not that he could blame her, they both needed time to sort out their feelings. Sydney walked into the room, shutting the door behind her and perching on one of the front desks. She looked down at the floor, trying to find the right words to use.

"I wanted to talk to you about mom." She looked at him; her eyes portraying an innocence that he hadn't seen since she was a child. He knew just by looking at her that she was concerned, but was he really the best person that she should be talking to about this?

He took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. "What about her?"

"It's just that lately she's been acting very strangely. Like there's something on her mind. I don't know." She shrugged, and looked down at her hands that were clasped together in her lap. "The past couple of days has seemed like she's in her own world, but it's been worse this morning. I think something happened last night because this morning she hardly spoke. I wanted to ask her about it, but I doubt that she would have given me the truth. Do you not what is wrong with her?"

Jack felt guilty, he knew the reason; he was the reason. But he couldn't tell her that. Not until he was sure about what Irina wanted. "I think I would be the last person that your mother would confide in. She may just be stressed with work or something!" He suggested, knowing perfectly well that work was the last thing on Irina's mind.

Sydney nodded slowly and sighed. _What he is saying makes sense…so why is it that I don't believe a word that he is saying?_

"You kissed her?" Vaughn questioned Weiss. He knew that Weiss liked Paige, after some very successful matchmaking by Sydney, but he hadn't expected Weiss to make a move on her.

"Well yeah kinda. It was only a quick peck on the lips. I was probably more shocked than she was. I didn't know that I was going to kiss her, and before I knew what was happening…it was over!" Weiss shuck his head. _I'm hopeless when it comes to romance or whatever!_

"Have you spoken to her since?" They made their way through the crowded halls of the school.

"No. I haven't seen her."

Vaughn was silent for a minute before suddenly nudging Weiss. "Well here's your chance." He nodded over to the other side of the corridor, his gaze focussing on Paige who was opening her locker. Weiss followed his gaze, his eyes settling on Paige. He couldn't help but smile at how beautiful she looked, and he obviously wasn't the only one who thought so. A couple of jocks were busy checking her out; but Paige was unaware that she was the centre of their attention.

"I can't just walk up to her and start talking!" Weiss stated. Knowing that other guys were interested in her made Weiss feel even more nervous talking to her. _Why would she choose me over those other guys? They are all popular, handsome and every girl in school dreams about them. I don't even compare to those guys._

"Eric! You like her and she likes you. Where's the problem in you going over to her and striking up a conversation?"

Weiss sighed. "There isn't one." He gave the answer that he knew Vaughn wanted to hear.

"Good! So get your ass over there and start talking!" He gave him a little push over in her direction, and watched with a half smile as Weiss manages to walk the rest of the way over to her.

Paige removed some books from her bag and placed them in her locker. The corridor was filled with noise as everyone made their way to their lessons. Although the corridor was noisy, she still managed to hear the 'hey' that came from the person standing next to her. She turned to see Weiss smiling at her.

"Eric! Hey." She smiled and closed her locker, adjusting her bag on her shoulders. She noticed how casually he was dressed, his jeans complementing the black and navy T-shirt that he was wearing.

Silence washed over them, as neither knew what to say next. Weiss turned around to see if Vaughn was still there, but to his disappointment he had gone. _I wish those jerks would leave too!_ Weiss glanced over at where the group of guys were each of them watching as he attempted to talk to Paige.

_Come on Weiss, make conversation…_ "So are you all ready for the game tonight?"

Paige leaned back against her locker, relieved that they had something to talk about. She hated awkward moments; she always tried her best to avoid them. "Yeah I think so. We have a final practise at lunch today, but hopefully it'll be alright." She gave him another smile, which he mirrored.

"I'm sure it'll be a great game." There was something about the way he spoke, which made Paige instantly believe him. Maybe it was his voice; calm and steady with a small hint of humour, or his eyes; sparkling at her like she was the only person in the packed corridor.

"Who is that guy that Paige is talking to?" Phoebe asked, nudging Piper and nodding in the direction of her younger sister.

Piper looked at the mystery guy for a minute and shuck her head. "I don't know. I've seen him around, but I don't actually know who he is. He looks a little like that guy Michael is friends with." She commented her eyes still fixed on her sister and the guy.

"Oh. My. God. That's it." Phoebe stopped in the middle of the corridor, jumping up and down.

"What's it?" Piper asked.

"You know how this morning Paige was acting all giddy and stuff! Well last night Paige went out with Sydney, and I'm guessing Michael probably went to. But he's not likely to turn up on his own so he brought a friend. That friend." She pointed at Weiss and then looked back at Piper.

"You think something's going on with them?"

"I don't know. But look at the way that they are looking at each other! You can tell that there's some attraction there." Piper nodded her agreement, and the two sisters continued to walk to class.

"Are you and Michael still coming?" Paige knew immediately that she sounded desperate, but Weiss didn't seem to pick up on it.

"Yeah I think so. What can I say, the guy needs to be taught a thing or two about America!" Weiss joked, pleased that Paige even laughed a little.

"Are you walking to Chem.?" She asked. He nodded and they started walking. As they walked past the popular jocks, Weiss couldn't help but smile at them, watching as each of their smug faces dropped. To them it looked like Weiss and Paige were together, when in reality they were just walking to class together.

The Chem. Room was nearly full, only a couple of people still missing from their seats. Paige noticed her Piper and Phoebe watching her as she walked in, and felt her cheeks getting hotter.

"So I'll talk to you later?" This came out more like a question instead of a statement, Paige eager to talk to him again. They still hadn't talked about their kiss last night, and both of them wanted to know how the other felt.

"Of course." Weiss reassured her, feeling quite happy that she was asking to see him again. They smiled at each other, and went their separate ways; Weiss taking a seat next to Vaughn and Sydney who were busy whispering to each other, and Paige sat with two of her sisters and Francie.

"Hi guys." Weiss sat down and smiled at the loved-up couple. They stopped their whispering and smiled back at him.

"So am I to take it by the smiles on both of your faces that you survived talking to her?" Vaughn teased. Weiss threw him an un-amused look, while Sydney playfully hit him on the arm.

"Don't tease him!" She told him, the smile on her lips telling him that she was only joking.

"Ok mom!" Needless to say, he received another hit, only this time less playfully and with a lot more effort.

"Hi." Paige took her seat in-between Francie and Piper. They smiled at her, waiting to see if she would shed any light on her possible new romance, but her lips remained sealed as she sat down. Noticing that Sloane still hadn't arrived to take the lesson, Sydney took the chance to find out what happened when she had left the night before.

She got up and stood behind Paige, wrapping her arms around her neck, making it seem like she was just giving her a hug. "Hi. So am I going to get to hear what happened last night?" She whispered loud enough for only Paige to hear. Piper and Phoebe watched curiously, desperate to know what they were talking about. Francie remained totally oblivious to what was going on, she was in her own dream world as she doodled pointless patterns on a pad of paper.

"Nothing happened!" Paige whispered back, looking at her sisters as they tried to listen in.

"What?" Sydney forgot to whisper making Paige jump slightly as Sydney's loud voice filled her ears. "Oops." Sydney smiled shyly, and went back to whispering. "So he didn't try to kiss you or anything?"

Paige paused. "Can we talk about this later?" She suggested as Sloane walked into the room, letting the door slam shut behind him.

"Sure." Sydney quickly kissed her on the cheek and sat down in her seat next to Vaughn.

The lesson went slowly, Sydney amusing herself my writing notes to Vaughn on the side of his work. Weiss was trying hard to concentrate, but his eyes kept drifting over to Paige, and he finally gave up trying to concentrate and just focused on her. He knew that he was probably staring, but he just couldn't help himself. Something about her fascinated him…but he couldn't quite figure out what.

Everything that Sloane was saying was going in one ear and out of the other for Paige. She just couldn't seem to concentrate because of a certain someone that was sitting behind her. _Why haven't' I noticed him before?_

She slowly turned her head to look at him, trying to not make it obvious. She was shocked to find him looking at her, but he quickly averted his eyes to the table. She laughed quietly, trying to hide her smile behind her hand.

He looked back up, and their eyes met, automatically locking. Neither wanted to be the first to look away, to break the connection between them. Sydney looked up from her work, and was amazed at the sight of them both. Paige could feel Sydney's eyes on her and reluctantly looked away, lowering her eyes. She smiled again at Weiss and turned back around, not wanting to have to answer any awkward questions from Sydney.

Paige was finally starting to pay attention to what Sloane was saying, when she felt something hit her arm. Looking down at the floor, she found a ball of paper. Discreetly picking it up so that Sloane didn't see her, she opened it, smoothing out the creases:

What are you doing after the game? Weiss 

She turned around and looked at him, watching a small smile creep onto his face. Picking up the nearest pen, she replied.

I don't know yet. What did you have in mind? 

She scrunched up the paper and threw it onto his desk. He read her note and replied to it, waiting until Sloane was looking away before he threw it back to her:

_I don't know! Maybe we could hang out or something?_

He grew nervous as he watched her write back. He enjoyed hanging out with her; he just hoped that she felt the same. She passed the paper back to him, and continued with her work, although her mind was on other things.

Sure. Sound's great 

Weiss smiled to himself as he studied her message for a couple of seconds before folding the paper up and stuffing it into his pocket as Sloane started to walk around the room.

The stadium at the back of the school was packed full of fans from both of the schools, ready to cheer on their team. The bright lights surrounding the stadium contrasted with the darkness of the sky; a small breeze finding it's way among all the people. Weiss made his way down the steps, looking for some empty seats, which was proving to be a difficult task.

"Here's some." Vaughn pointed out, grabbing Weiss by the arm and pulling him towards the vacant chairs. They were sat 6 rows from the front, providing them with a great view of the game. Vaughn had to admit that he was excited; he had only seen things like this in films, and here he was about to experience it for himself.

The screaming crowds got louder, something that Vaughn thought couldn't have been humanly possible. He looked around him; the students seemed to be getting even more hyped up as the cheerleaders ran onto the field.

Sydney led the rest of the team onto the field, pom-poms moving around in the air. They were all dressed in red pleated skirts, accompanied by a red top with the team logo printed in white on the front. Vaughn watched her with amazement, her brown ponytail moving around as she jumped up and down. Weiss spotted Paige waving her pom-poms above her head as the team got the crowd even more hyped up.

"Come on tigers!" They all shouted at the top of the voices, clapping the pom-poms together.

Pure snuggled even closer into Andy's side as she watched her friends and her three sisters. They were left on their own tonight, as all of their friends were either playing football or busy cheering on the field. Andy had been one of the players, but he quit a few months ago.

"How come you're not up there with them?" He asked Prue, who's eyes were focused on the cheerleaders.

"I haven't cheered for a while." Her voice was full of regret as she spoke. She looked away from them, staring out into the crowds. "I never did cheerleading when I moved to San Francisco, the team was already full and besides the girls weren't exactly the nicest of people, if you know what I mean." He wrapped his arms even tighter around her, gently planting a kiss on the side of her head.

The football team ran onto the field, the crowd shouting encouraging things to them. The cheerleaders got into their positions, while the players received a final prep talk from the Coach.

"Who rocks the house?  
The Kennedy Tigers rocks the house and when the Kennedy Tigers rock the house, they rock it all the way down," came the chants from the front of the fields. Vaughn smiled as he watched Sydney. It was so natural the way she moved, her body moving in perfect timing with the other girls.

The other football team, The Gosforth Bulls came onto the field, earning mostly cheers from the crowd, along with the odd 'boo' from other people. The cheerleaders from Gosforth started their routines, while Sydney and co watched.

"P-

O

O-W-E-R  
We got power  
Got that Gosforth Bull power  
say it say it."

Piper rolled her eyes and turned back to her team. "Can you believe those guys? Look at them!" All eyes focused on the other team, watching in amusement as one girl always managed to get the routine wrong. The girls laughed as the game began.

Danny knew that Sydney would be at the game; she always was, being a cheerleader and all. But he had this feeling that if she was there, then she definitely didn't come alone. Somewhere in the crowd, her new boyfriend would be sitting their thinking how lucky he was. He sighed as he caught the ball and threw it to Sark. Taking one last look at Sydney he ran down the field ready to focus on the game.


	27. Chapter 26

**Vaughn is hot ** Sydney's more best friends with Piper than Francie! sorry for confusing you! hehe

thanks everyone for the great reviews!

**Chapter 26**

The first half of the game ended quickly. The cheerleaders sat at the side of the field with the players, while some the people in the crowds took toilet breaks, waiting for the game to start again. Sydney, Piper and Phoebe were stood talking to Leo and Cole when Sydney felt a hand on the small of her back. She turned around and smiled, but the smile quickly faded as an unwanted face greeted her.

"Hey!" She rolled her eyes, waiting for one of her friends to interrupt, but they were in the middle of a conversation. _Looks like I'm just gonna have to lose him on my own!_

"Hi." She replied dully.

"Great game so far eh!" Any other girl would have been charmed by his smile, but Sydney didn't find it appealing.

"Yeah if you say so." She looked away from him, her eyes drifting across the field. She had to admit that he was right; their team was in the lead, and they could possibly even win the game.

"So how about after the game, we do something?" He picked up her hand, holding it tightly in his own. Violently pulling her hand away, she folded her arms across her chest.

"My answer's still the same as it was last night, Julian. I have a boyfriend…how many times do you need me to tell you that?" He kept smiling even though she was turning him down for a second time.

"Some other time then!" He stated, slowly walking away from her, holding her eyes with his own. She couldn't help but laugh at how cocky he was being; she had told him twice now that she didn't want to go out with him, and yet he was still insisting that there would be another time. _Some guys just don't listen!_

Sark eventually turned away from her, walking towards Danny and some other guys. Sydney went back to talking to her friends, deciding to keep her second encounter with Sark a secret.

"Hey man!" Sark patted Danny on the back; the usual way that they greeted each other. Danny looked at Sark and nodded his head, acknowledging his presence. Sark wondered what was with the cold reception that he had received from Danny, but before he had a chance to ask the players were running onto the field ready for the second half of the game.

Danny took his place on the field, deciding to use his anger against Sark in the game. He had watched from afar, as his so-called friend had moved in on his ex-girlfriend. He wanted to march over to him and tell him to keep his hands of Sydney, but he knew that if he was to have any kind of relationship with her again, he needed to let her make her own mistakes; and dating Julian Sark would be one major mistake.

Half of the crowd stood up, smiles on their faces as they cheered for the winning team. The Kennedy Tigers had won the game leaving the other team humiliated and disappointed. The cheerleaders joined the team in the centre of the field, as everyone congratulated each other for playing a good game.

As the cheers died down, everyone started to leave. Vaughn stood up ready to go, but turned back to see Weiss still in his seat. "You planning on staying here all night?" He joked sitting back down next to his friend. Weiss looked at him, refusing to laugh at his joke.

"Actually if you must know, I'm waiting for Paige. We're hanging out!" As much as he tried, he couldn't say that last sentence without smiling. It wasn't like him to be happy over the thought of hanging out with a girl that he really liked; usually he was always the one that never had any look with the opposite sex.

"You guys are hanging out?" He knew that they had had a great time the night before, but he had no idea that they had agreed to see each other again.

"Yep. You not seeing Syd?"

He shook his head. "No, we didn't arrange anything."

Sydney and Paige walked off the field followed by Francie and Phoebe. Piper had left five minutes ago with Andy and Prue, saying something about going over to Leo's for a while. Paige looked over at the stands and spotted Weiss and Vaughn in-between the people who were still hadn't left the stadium.

She smiled to herself, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know why she was so nervous, she had had a great time with him the night before; there was no reason why tonight should be any different.

Sydney looked curiously at her and wondered what she was so happy about. She glanced over at who Paige was looking at and found herself smiling. _I've made the perfect match!_

"So you have any plans for tonight?" It was only 9 PM and Sydney didn't have to be home for a while yet. Her and Vaughn didn't have any plans so she could always do something with the girls.

"Yeah actually. I'm hanging out with Eric."

Sydney started jumping up and down as they walked. "What? When was this arranged?"

"Today." Sydney playfully nudged her with her elbow, a goofy smile on her face.

"That's great!"

The two guys spotted Sydney and Paige, and started walking down the steps to them. Phoebe and Francie had carried on walking, leaving Sydney and Paige alone with them.

"Hey." Paige and Weiss smiled nervously at each other. Sydney eyes went from Paige to Weiss and then back to Paige again. She turned to look at Michael, and blushed to find him looking at her, a cute smile on his lips.

Sensing that they're presence was making things more awkward; Sydney took a step towards Vaughn, taking his hand in hers. "We're just gonna go and leave you guys alone!" She smiled and dragged Michael away from them. Paige's cheeks coloured slightly, as she watched her friend walk away.

"Subtlety has never been her strongest point!" She joked, the laughter making the situation less awkward.

"Yeah I can see that!" He smiled as they both walked in the same direction that Sydney and Michael took, only at a slower pace.

"So did you enjoy the game?"

"Yeah it was a great. You guys were amazing." His compliment caused her to blush and the butterflies in her stomach felt like they were doing somersaults.

"Thanks. Did Michael have fun?"

"Yeah I think he did. I had to explain a few things to him, but other than that he survived."

They left the stadium and walked towards Eric's parked car, neither knowing where they were going. There were only a few cars left in the car park, the majority of people had left as soon as the game had ended.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" He asked as he unlocked the car doors. They both climbed into the car, and Weiss put the keys in the ignition.

"I don't mind." She shrugged and smiled at him.

Twenty minutes later, the car was parked on the beach, facing the water. The radio was on in the background as him and Paige lay side by side on the bonnet looking up at the sky. The moon washed over them; bathing them in white light.

"It's been so long since I last did this." Paige's eyes wondered across the sky, admiring the thousands of stars above them.

"I always come here, just to relax or if I've got something on my mind."

"I can't believe how beautiful they are!" Weiss watched her out of the corner of his eye and smiled. _I can't believe how beautiful you are…_

They lay in silence for a few minutes, just admiring the stars. The beach was empty except for them, the only noise coming from the radio. Laying there looking at the stars was peaceful; romantic even. _Maybe that's why he brought me here…_Paige quickly dismissed the thought, and continued to look up at the night sky. A slight breeze made her a shiver, which didn't go unnoticed by Weiss.

"Are you cold?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No I'm ok." Even though she said that she wasn't cold, Weiss still sat up and removed his jacket.

"Here." Paige tried to protest but he wouldn't take no for an answer. She sat up and he wrapped the jacket around her shoulders, leaving his arm resting on her shoulder. She smiled and moved closer to him, leaning back into his embrace. He mirrored her smile as he wrapped his arms tighter around her and they both lay back against the windscreen. Paige rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in the smell of his aftershave. She felt so safe and warm in his arms; like she could stay there forever.

"So you know any of their names?" She asked, pointing up at the stars.

"Erm…no. But I could make some up if you like!"

Paige laughed and shook her head. "No that's ok."

"Fine!" He rolled his eyes and smiled. Weiss watched in amazement as a shooting star flashed across the sky.

"Wow, did you see that?" He asked, looking back to where it was only to find that it was long gone.

"Yeah I did." She smiled and turned her head to look at him. Their eyes met and the stars were suddenly the last thing on their minds. They slowly moved closer to each other, their lips meeting in the middle. Unlike their first kiss, Paige had time to respond. She brought her hand up to his face, gently pulling him closer to her.

Paige was couldn't stop herself from smiling as she walked into the kitchen to get some breakfast. She found herself unable to think of anything else, other than the feeling of his lips on hers.

"Morning." She smiled brightly at her mom and sisters. After a round of 'mornings' and 'hellos' she sat down with a glass of orange juice and a bagel.

"Oh I forgot to tell you girls. You know how we were gonna have dinner on Friday to celebrate Prue coming home?" They al nodded. "Well I gotta call yesterday. The Goo Goo Dolls are coming to play at P3, and I've got to be there to make sure that everything goes ok." Patty felt bad about cancelling their plans; but there was nothing she could do about it.

"Wait. The Goo Goo Dolls are playing in the club?" Piper asked, putting down her bagel, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Yeah. The tickets are going on sale today; they'll probably sell out really quickly!" She smiled; the more tickets she sold; the bigger profit the club got.

"You have to let us see them! They are like one of the best bands ever!"

"You guys really wanna go?" They all nodded quickly. "Ok. Seeing as I cancelled our dinner plans, I'll put your names on the guest list." She looked at her watch and picked up her purse and jacket. "I've got to get to the club, make sure you tell me late if your bringing anyone with you so I can add them to the list!" She kissed each of them goodbye. "Have a nice day at school!"

"Have Weiss told you what happened last night?" Sydney still hadn't heard from Paige and she was eager to find out what had happened between them.

"No. I haven't seen him yet." Him and Sydney were sat on the grass infront of school, waiting for the bell to go.

"Hey!" Piper ran over to them, and sat down next to them.

"Hi Piper!" Sydney gave her friend a quick hug.

"What are you two doing Friday night?" She asked, smiling at them both. Sydney quickly looked at Michael and shrugged.

"Well, how would you like to come and see The Goo Goo Dolls play at P3?" Sydney's mouth dropped and she squealed.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah! My mom told us this morning. So you wanna come?" They both nodded. "Great. I'll see you in class." She waved goodbye and ran back towards Leo and Cole.

"P3 would be?" Michael asked, standing up and holding out his hand to help Sydney up. The bell had just rung and everyone was heading to class.

"Piper's mom owns a nightclub down town." She linked their hands together as they walked up the steps into the building. Sydney noticed some people looking at her; obviously interested in her new boyfriend. She loved being popular and everything, but it did have it's drawbacks.

"You do want to go don't you?" She asked, wanting to make sure that he wasn't just agreeing to it because she wanted to go.

"Of course I do. It'll be fun, plus I get to spend more time with you." He smiled as he leaned down to plant a light kiss on her lips. "I'll see you after class?"

"Definitely." She gave him another quick kiss and then they both walked their different classes.

**Friday**

The girls sat around a table, watching as the club filled up with people. Patty had told them that they weren't allowed to drink any alcoholic drinks, as she couldn't risk losing her license so Leo and Cole were at the bar buying them some glasses of Pepsi.

"I can't believe how excited I am!" Phoebe smiled as she looked at the stage, waiting for the band to come on.

"I know. It's gonna be great." Piper brushed her hair back over her shoulders, and leaned towards Sydney, her elbows resting on her knees. "Syd…I forgot to tell you that Danny said he might show." Piper knew that she shouldn't have mentioned it to him, but she felt that it was unfair to leave him out, after all he was one of their friends too.

Sydney nodded slowly, registering what Piper had just told her. Fiddling with the bunch of bracelets on her wrist and smiled. "Hey it's no big deal. I'm sure we can all be grown up about it."

Piper smiled aswell, trying her best to ignore the nagging feeling she had in her stomach. She knew what Danny was like; something was bound to happen, especially when Michael turns up.

Paige watched the door eagerly; looking at every person that walked down the metal stairs into the club. Sydney saw what she was doing out of the corner of her eye and placed a reassuring hand over hers.

"Are you scared that he's not gonna show?"

Paige shook her head. "It's not that. He seemed really excited about coming. It's just that I'm a little nervous about him meeting everyone." She looked at each of her sisters and then back at the entrance.

"Listen to me." Sydney turned Paige's head so that she was looking at her. "They are gonna love him ok? He's a great guy…there's no reason why they won't like him." What she was saying made sense to Paige, but it didn't help her nerves. Her and Eric had been hanging out a lot over the past couple of days, but she was still didn't know if they were dating or not. Neither of them had brought the conversation up, so she had decided that tonight would be the night that she would ask him what was going on between them.

"To tell you the truth, I'm a little anxious about Michael hanging out with everyone. I know that he's met them all before, but I can't help but be nervous." She lowered her voice and moved closer to Paige's ear so that nobody else could hear her. "I like him so much, it's unbelievable. And I guess I just want everyone else to like him. I don't want to be one of those people whose friends don't like their boyfriends, I don't want to have to chose between them."

Leo and Cole placed the glasses on the table and took a seat next to their girlfriends. Sydney glanced at each of her friends, watching as they all laughed among themselves. She loved her friends so much, and deep down she knew that they were great people who would openly welcome Vaughn into their group of friends. But this doubt that they wouldn't accept him remained in the back of her mind.

"You won't have to chose between us Syd. I know everyone at school probably thinks that we're this artificial group who judges people on their looks and social status. But you know yourself that we're not like that. We can see how happy Michael's making you, and after what you went through with Danny, you deserve to be happy. We all love you Syd, we want you to be happy, so none of us are gonna stand in you way." Paige tried her best to reassure her. Sydney felt her eyes filling up, and looked down at the floor hoping that no tears would fall down her cheek. Any doubts that she had about Michael and her friends had faded away, being replaced with Paige's words.

"Thank you." She smiled and wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, pulling her into a hug. Everyone stopped what they were doing and curiously looked at them. Paige and Sydney looked at each other and laughed, silently deciding not to share their conversation with everyone else.

"Come on." Sydney took hold of Paige's hand, dragging her up on her feet. "They just walked in." She nodded towards the stairs where Weiss and Vaughn were stood looking through the crowds for them. Paige gave Sydney's hand a comforting squeeze as they weaved their way through the crowds towards them.

Vaughn smiled as he spotted Sydney walking towards him. She was dressed in black pants accompanied by a pink top, which showed of her figure and her hair fell in curls around her face. She met his gaze and smiled, captivated by the sight of him in worn jeans and a black T-shirt.

"Hey you guys." She smiled at Weiss and then her eyes settled on Vaughn.

"Hi." She took a step towards him, still holding his gaze. She slowly leaned up and kissed him, her arms naturally wrapping around his neck. He smiled into her lips, his arms holding her closer to him. Weiss and Paige rolled their eyes at their friend's greeting.

They walked away from Sydney and Vaughn, leaving them wrapped up in each other's arms, oblivious to what was going on around them.

"I'm glad you came." Paige smiled, leading him through the crowds to where her friends and sisters were sitting.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't have missed this for the world. The band is great and I like the company." He playfully nudged her, causing her to laugh. "Although I'm a little nervous about meeting everyone!" He glanced towards the big group of people that they were heading to. He knew each of the people seated there; everyone in the school knew who they were. But he had never spoken to any of them, partly due to the fact that they had nothing in common._ But that should change now, we do have something in common. Paige._

"It'll be fine I promise!" She took hold of his hand and stood infront of her friends. "You guys, I want you to meet somebody." She placed her hand on his back, ushering him forward so that they could see him.

Everyone smiled and greeted him, making Eric feel more at ease. He smiled back at them as he took a seat next to Paige.

Ending the kiss, they looked at each other unable to remove the smiles from their faces. Sydney turned her head to see what Paige and Weiss were doing, but they were no longer stood next to them.

"Hey where did they go?" She asked turning back to look at Michael, who just shrugged.

"I have no idea!" Sydney rolled her eyes and linked their hands together walking back through the crowds to her friends. She felt Vaughn tug on her hand so she stopped and turned back around.

"I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look tonight!" He whispered in her ear before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Sydney blushed, feeling her cheeks getting hotter and hotter. People had paid her compliments before, and she never usually reacted like this; but the way that Vaughn told her how beautiful she looked sent shivers up her spine. _I just hope tonight goes ok!_


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 

Vaughn took a seat next to Weiss, taking hold of Sydney's hand and pulling her towards him so that she was sitting on his knee. She smiled, one arm wrapped around his shoulder, as his arm was wrapped around her waist. She picked up his free hand and linked their fingers together, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.

"They are adorable!" Prue commented, whispering into Piper's ear. Piper nodded as she watched their display of affection.

The group started talking about the band, Weiss, and Vaughn fitting in as though they'd been friends with everyone for years. Sydney and Paige exchanged a look, both relieved that everyone was getting along.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." The club went silent as Patty stood on the stage, a microphone in her hand. Everyone turned to look at the stage, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement. "It is my pleasure to introduce to you all The Goo Goo Dolls!" P3 broke out into applause and cheers as the lights dimmed down and the band came onto the stage.

Sydney and Vaughn stood up following her friends into the crowd. The music started and everyone began dancing and singing along. Sydney moved her hips to the music, her arms waving around above her head. Vaughn glanced over at Weiss and laughed. _Someone really needs to teach that guy how to dance!_

The band played song after song, each one getting the crowd jumping around even more. Sydney and Vaughn danced together, smiles on their faces as Vaughn jokingly twirled Sydney around. Sydney noticed that Paige and Weiss seemed to be having a good time, they were both laughing as they danced.

The pushing crowds separated Sydney and Michael from everyone else. Paige and Weiss were stood a couple of feet away from Sydney, totally oblivious to the fact that the rest of their friends had gotten lost in the crowds. They were having way too much fun to even notice. The sight of Weiss dancing made Paige, along with a few other random people, laugh uncontrollably. Weiss sensed that he was being laughed at and stopped his dance.

He leaned over to her and shouted so that she could hear him over the music. "What are you laughing at?"

"Your dance! I'm sorry but it's just too funny!" She said in-between giggles.

"How could you laugh at the 'Weiss dance'? Everyone loves the 'Weiss dance.'" He continued to dance, his arms moving in circles infront of him, his shoulders hunched up to his neck. He glanced down at his hands and stopped dancing, the reality of how stupid he must have looked finally dawning on him. He looked at Paige sheepishly, a small smile on his face.

"Ok so maybe it is a little silly!" He admitted, opting to dance like the other people in the crowd.

Everyone applauded as the song came to an end. The guitars started playing again, and everyone began to sway in time with the song. Sydney leaned back into Vaughn, as his arms wrapped around her waist, his hands resting on her stomach. She placed her hands over his, and snuggled into his embrace, both swaying at the same time.

_The strands in your eyes  
the color them wonderful  
stop me  
then steal my breath.  
Emeralds from mountains  
thrust towards the sky  
never revealing their depth. _

Paige noticed the other couples holding each other as the song played. She suddenly felt awkward standing there with Weiss, unsure of what she should do. Weiss was feeling uncomfortable too; several times he had attempted to put his arm around her shoulders or her waist, but had stopped himself. He knew that things were changing between them. A week ago, she probably didn't even know his name, and here he was contemplating having some sort of relationship with her. _Why does being a teenager have to be so difficult?_

Tell me  
that we belong together  
dress it up  
with the trappings of love.  
I'll be captivated  
I'll hang from your lips  
instead of the gallows  
of heartache that hang from above

Sydney smiled, as she let the words of the song wash over her. She felt Vaughn kiss the side of her head; which just made her smile even more. Vaughn rested his head on her shoulder, Sydney's head tilting towards his. To anyone watching them, they looked like the perfect couple, and they were both happy to keep it that way.

_I'll be  
your crying shoulder  
I'll be  
loves suicide  
I'll be  
better when I'm older  
I'll be  
the greatest fan of your life_

Piper and Phoebe hugged their sister, all three of them moving in time with the music. It felt so good for Prue to be back with them; it was just like old times. Behind them, the guys stood with their hands in their pockets. Everywhere they turned, they found a loved-up couple. Leo glanced at Piper and her sisters and smiled. He knew that they needed some time alone. It had been hard on them when Prue left, and now that she was back, they never wanted to lose her again. Prue laughed as her sisters sandwiched her in, each standing on either side of her, their arms across her shoulders pulling her into yet another hug.

_And rain falls  
angry on the tin roof  
as we lie awake in my bed.  
You're my survival  
you're my living proof  
my love is alive  
not dead  
_

Paige stopped looking at the stage and focused on Weiss. She knew that she wanted to be with him, now all she needed to was to tell him that. _Well I have always preferred show than tell!_ She turned to face him, their eyes meeting. Without saying anything, she rested her hands on his arms, not once breaking eye contact with him. Weiss curiously watched her, suddenly feeling like they were the only too people in the room.

_Tell me  
that we belong together  
dress it up  
with the trappings of love.  
I'll be captivated  
I'll hang from your lips  
instead of the gallows  
of heartache that hang from above_

Paige slowly leaned up towards him, and softly pressed her lips against his. She cupped his face with her hands, gently pulling him closer to her. He hugged her to him, as the kiss deepened. Weiss was relived that she had made the first move; as much as he wanted to, he was still unsure about how she felt. Until now.

When The Goo Goo Dolls finished singing some people left P3, others stayed to have a few more drinks. Patty's club was doing well; all the famous artists that she managed to get to perform at P3 attracted people from all over the city.

Walking out of the crowds, Sydney and Vaughn finally found everyone again. They were all sitting in the spot where they had been at the start of the night. Sydney took a seat next to Paige, singing one of the songs to herself.

"Did you and Weiss talk yet?" She whispered in her ear.

"No not yet, I haven't found the right time. We kissed again though!" Paige replied, glancing over at Weiss who was busy talking to Vaughn.

"What's wrong with now?" Sydney suggested. Paige's eyes fell to the floor as she considered what Sydney had said. She knew that she was only procrastinating, they would have to talk about what was going on between them eventually.

Nodding, she stood up and walked over to Weiss. Leaning over him, she whispered in his ear.

"Can I talk to you for minute?" She moved back enough, so that she could see his face. He smiled and nodded. Standing up he followed her into a back room of the club, which looked like one of the offices or something. _I suppose that's one advantage of having a mom who owns a nightclub…you have access to the whole club! _Paige mused, as she closed the office door behind him.

Sydney was too busy following Paige and Weiss with her eyes that she failed to notice Vaughn moving to sit next to her. He waved his hand infront of her eyes bringing her back to reality. She turned to face him, a smile on her face.

"Have you had fun tonight?" She asked, as he put his arms around her shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder, her arm leaning on his chest.

"Of course I have. I spent it with you didn't I! The Goo Goo Dolls were just an added advantage!" He stroked her shoulder with his hand, kissing the top of her head. She glanced up at him, an amused look on her face.

"Are all French guys smooth talkers?" She joked, laughing as his smirk was quickly removed off his face. His mouth dropped open, shocked at her joked. He stayed like that for a few seconds trying to think of a comeback.

"No not all of them. Only a selected few have the gift." He smiled; feeling quite pleased with his response.

"Oh, so where were you when they were giving out the gifts!" Even Vaughn found it hard to suppress his laughter; he had once been the king of witty comebacks, but it looked like he had just met his match. He removed his arm from around her shoulder, and folded them across his chest. Now it was Sydney's turn to be shocked, already missing the security of having him hold her.

"Hey! I was comfortable like that!" She uncrossed his arms and wrapped one arm around her shoulder. As soon as she had let go of his arm, he moved it back to his chest. Sydney rolled her eyes and looked at him, although he wouldn't make eye contact with her for fear of laughing.

"Please put your arm around me!" She pleaded pouting at him. Vaughn shook his head, a small smile starting to creep onto his lips no matter how hard he tried to stop it. "Please! S'il vous plait?" Vaughn quickly looked at her, his act coming to an end.

"You speak French?" He asked, his arm finally going back around her shoulders. Making a mental note that speaking French helped to get what she wanted, Sydney smiled and snuggled into his embrace.

"I know the odd phrase!"

"I'm impressed!"

"Good!" She laughed, giving him a small hug. "You'll have to teach me more some time, you never know when it'll come in handy!" She shrugged, thinking off all the play fights that she could win by speaking French to him.

"Yeah ok!" Vaughn agreed. Sydney turned to face him, and brought her lips up to his. They were so caught up in the kiss that they didn't hear someone clear their throat, so they had to be hit with one of the cushions off the sofa in the club. Breaking apart, they looked at Piper, the obvious culprit for tossing a pillow at them. Sydney was about to ask her what she was doing, when Piper starting shifting her eyebrows to the side of her. Sydney looked at the person next to Piper the smile immediately falling from her face. Danny.

When she had first sat down, she had been talking to Paige, so it hadn't occurred to her to see who else they were sitting with. Then she had been busy messing around with Michael that she totally forgot about Danny saying that he would show.

"I like you too Weiss." Paige admitted. Weiss's smile grew as he finally heard the words come out of her mouth. She felt the same way about him that he did about her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!" She mirrored his smile, as he walked forward taking her hands in his own.

"So, how about we officially become a couple?" He took a deep breath waiting eagerly for her answer. Paige's smile grew even more, and she gave his hands a comforting squeeze.

"I'd like that a lot!" For the second time that night, they kissed. Only this time it felt more special as they were finally a couple.

Sydney cleared her throat, the tense atmosphere around the table making her along with everyone else uncomfortable. Vaughn was wishing that Weiss would come back, at least then he would feel like he had some one on his side; after all everyone that he was sat with was close friends with Danny.

He dropped his arm from around her shoulders, which she undoubtedly noticed. She glanced at him, searching his eyes for an answer for why he was afraid to make contact with her, but his eyes remained fixed on the floor.

"So it looks like you had fun tonight!" Danny commented, nodding at Vaughn. He had agreed that he would try and be civil to Sydney, but once he saw her kissing _him_ any sign of civility when right out the window.

"Don't start Danny." Sydney warned him, her eyes and voice cold. She knew that she had agreed to act like an adult about this, but she could tell that Vaughn felt awkward being there, she didn't need Danny making him feel worse.

The rest of the group sat silently, wondering whether they should give them so privacy, but before they could move Danny started talking again. "You can't tell me what to do Syd. That's always been one of your biggest problems. You seem to think that just because your popular, that everyone will do as you say. But here's a little reality check for you…they won't. You may be able to get your latest boyfriend to do what you want, but not me." She felt Michael tense up even more behind her.

"Have you heard yourself? You are pathetic Danny." A few people on their way to the bar looked in their direction as they walked past. The last thing Sydney wanted to do was make a scene, but judging by the way that this was going it was probably going to happen.

"No you know what's pathetic? You. We broke up and less than five minutes later you've hooked up with the nearest guy."

"Danny!" Cole tried to stop him, knowing that he had gone to far.

"You just said it Danny. We broke up. My life no longer has anything to do with you. And I'd prefer it to stay that way." She picked up her bag and jacket and turned towards Vaughn. "You wanna get out of here?"

"Yeah." He nodded. They both stood up and Sydney took hold of his hand, much to Danny's dismay.

"Bye guys." They said bye to everyone, and walked away, Sydney and Danny glaring at each other for one last time.

Once they were outside the club Sydney leant against the cold wall, wishing that the banging in her head would stop. She closed her eyes and sighed. She had hoped that her and Danny could be on nice to each other, but judging by tonight's performance that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

"I'm so sorry about what happened in there." Vaughn came and stood infront of her, gently swiping a strand of hair and placed it behind her ears, his hand staying on her face.

"Hey, it's not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for." He gave her a quick kiss, his hands now holding her waist.

"So we're good?" She asked.

He smiled, taking her in his arms. "We're more than good." She smiled too, as he leaned down and captured her lips with his own.


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

"Paige?" Phoebe gently knocked on her sister's bedroom door waiting for her to answer. Piper and Prue were by her side, eager to talk to her. They were leaving P3 when they saw Weiss kissing Paige goodnight, but before they could ask her about it she had gone home.

"Come in." They opened the door to find Paige sitting at her dressing table, brushing her hair. She smiled at them through the mirror. Piper playfully pushed Phoebe into the room, jumping onto the bed, her legs in the air behind her. Prue and Phoebe lay beside her on the bed, all three of them looking at Paige.

"So, what's the deal with you and Eric?" Prue asked, doing the older sister routine of looking out for her sister. Paige spun round on the chair, not expecting to see all three of them watching her intently. Her cheeks coloured as she realized that she was the centre of attention; something that she didn't want to be right not.

"What do you mean?" She replied coolly. Phoebe glanced at Prue, her eyebrows raised. They all knew that she was avoiding answering their questions, which made them think that there was even more to the story about her and Weiss.

"Don't answer a question with a question!" Piper joked, causing Paige to glare at her.

"We're talking about the kiss that Mr Weiss gave you as you were leaving the club. And we're not talking casual peck on the cheek kiss here so spill."

"Mr Weiss?" Prue laughed at Phoebe, earning her a slap on her arm.

"Nevermind that! I wanna here what's going on with you two…" Phoebe silenced her older sister and focussed all her attention back on Paige.

"Ok, I guess you could say that we're dating!" She shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. She stood up, putting on some lip balm and sat on the other end of the bed. Her sister's sat up, turning around to face her, huge smiles on all their faces.

"Oh, my, God. Since when?" Piper asked the question that was on all their minds.

"We've been kinda hanging out for a couple of days but we officially started dating tonight." Paige couldn't help but smile. Her life was going great. She had three sisters who loved her more than life itself, an amazing group of friends, and now a boyfriend. She didn't think that she could be any happier if she tried.

Piper and Phoebe squealed, clapping their hands infront of them.

Prue looked at them, and rolled her eyes. "What are you guys doing?"

Piper and Phoebe looked at each other and shrugged. "We're happy for her!"

Laughing aloud, Prue shook her head. "Well then give her a hug, buy her a gift or something. Don't act like she just won an Academy Award!"

Paige couldn't help but laugh at her sisters. She was quite happy that the conversation had steered away from her and that they were now talking about a different topic.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the comedienne of the night Prue Halliwell." Phoebe waved her hands towards Prue, a smirk on her face. "Piper have you been teaching our dear sister some of your sarcastic jokes?"

Piper shook her head, her hands raised infront of her as if she were surrendering. "I'm sorry but I can't take credit for that one! She learnt that one all by herself." Glaring at Piper, Prue folded her arms infront of her chest, a smile threatening to creep onto her face.

They finally took Prue's advice, and walked over to Paige who was standing in the middle of the room. Throwing their arms around her neck they hugged her and told her how happy they were for her. Prue watched them from the bed and started to feel left out.

"Hey, make room for me!" She jumped up off the bed and walked over to them and joined in the embrace.

Sydney was sat in bed watching the T.V when her mom knocked on the door and came into the room. Picking up the remote, Sydney smiled at her mother and tossed the remote control back onto the bed.

"How were The Goo Goo Dolls?" Irina asked, sitting on the edge of her daughter's bed. She had stayed in all night, her mind racing with thoughts of Jack and the situation that they were in. It was only made worse when he had called, but she had luckily managed to dodge any questions about them.

"They were amazing! I had so much fun!" Sydney beamed, taking out the elastic out of her hair, letting it fall loosely over her pillows.

"That's good. Listen," Sydney grew worried, any conversation that her mother started with the word 'listen' did not end well. "Your father called this evening, and he wants us to go to dinner tomorrow night."

Sydney slowly nodded. Dinner with her parents didn't sound too bad. After all they used to do it all the time before they got divorced, she was sure that she could survive another one. "Sounds good." She smiled at her mother, her face telling Sydney that that wasn't the end.

"He wants Michael to come too…" Irina drew in a breath, watching her daughter's eyes grow wider.

"I'm sorry, what?" _Did I just hear right? My father wants to have dinner with me and Vaughn?_

"Your father wants to meet the guy that his daughter is dating! I know that we both teach him, so we know him as his teacher. But we want to get to know him as your parents." Irina tried to make her understand. She knew the minute that Jack suggested dinner that she would have a hard time convincing Sydney.

Sydney shook her head and sat up straight, folding her legs infront of her. "Yeah you I don't mind meeting him. I just don't want dad too! Do you not remember the time Danny had dinner with us?" Sydney asked.

Irina sighed and nodded. The whole night had been a disaster. Dinner was like an interrogation, Jack asked question after question, never seeming pleased with any of the answers that he was getting. And to top it all off, at the end of the evening Jack had not to kindly informed Danny that if he so much as touches Sydney, he'll be unable to have children for the rest of his life. Needless to say, Sydney and Danny didn't go on another date for at least two months after that.

"Look, I know your father can come off a little strong at times," Sydney laughed at her mother. _Talk about stating the obvious._ "But I'll talk to him. I promise he'll behave himself. Ok?"

Sydney stared down at the flowers on her bed quilt, considering what her mother had said. She sighed and finally gave him. "Ok, but you best control him!"

"I will." Irina smiled, relieved that she had managed to convince her daughter.

Sydney ate her fries, her head resting on her hand. She wasn't looking forward to dinner, looking at her watch she realised it was only 7 hours away.

"Is everything ok hon?" Piper asked, waving her hand infront of Sydney's face bringing her back from her trance.

"What? Oh yeah I'm great!" She smiled but no one was convinced by her act. "Ok so maybe everything's not ok…" She shrugged, taking another fry and tossing it into her mouth.

"My dad wants me and Michael to have dinner with him tonight!" She looked up from her plate of fries and sighed.

"Ooh, dinner with the parents eh?" Cole commented from the other end of the table.

"You could call it that." Sydney nodded and smiled.

Phoebe picked up her bottle of water and unscrewed the cap, discarding it on the table. "Well what did Michael say when you told him?" Sydney looked over at the other side of the cafeteria to where Vaughn and Weiss were sat.

"I haven't told him yet." She admitted scrunching her face up as she started to fell guilty for not saying anything to him.

"Sydney! Don't you think that you need to tell him? At least that way he has time to prepare."

She turned to face Will who was sitting next to her. "Prepare for what?" She asked, her face filled with confusion.

"To write his will, say goodbye to his loved ones, watch Moulin Rouge for one last time…" Francie quickly swallowed her drink and burst out laughing.

She raised her eyebrows and leaned towards him. "Moulin Rouge? If you were going to die you'd watch Moulin Rouge one last time?"

"Watch out Will…your cheeks are going a little rouge!" The whole table laughed at Piper's joke, but Will didn't find it funny. He picked up on of Sydney's chips and threw it at Piper, hitting her on the nose.

"For your information, Moulin Rouge is a great film. You'd be a fool for not watching it." He pulled tongues at them all, and continued to eat deciding that he wasn't going to add anything else to the discussion.

"Can you not just tell you dad that you can't go? Tell him that you're ill or have a huge assignment to finish for tomorrow."

Sydney considered what Prue was saying. _No if I don't go tonight, he'll just arrange it for another night!_ She glanced over at Michael, and found herself mesmerised by his smile. He was laughing at something that Weiss was saying to him, and Sydney had never seen him looking so cute.

"I can't lie to my father. We're just gonna have to go." She took a sip of her soda. "But what if after dinner he breaks up with me?" Everyone on the table stopped what they were doing and looked up at her.

"Ok, and why would Vaughn be dumping you after dinner?" Piper asked, throwing her hands out infront of her. Sydney was one of her best friends, but Piper had to admit that at times she did say some of the most random things.

"You know what happened after Danny met my father. He wouldn't come near me for two months, and we'd already been together for four. But I've only been with Michael for just over a week, and I know that my dad's gonna freak him out!"

Francie hugged her friend. "Honey, Michael is not going to dump you. You are both gonna go to dinner and everything will be fine. Ok?" Sydney nodded her doubts still in her mind. "Now get your ass over there and tell him what you guys are doing tonight!" Sydney managed a fake smile and stood up, crossing the distance between their two tables.

Coming up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Hi." She smiled at him and then at Weiss.

"Hey you."

Sydney took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to do. "Can I talk to you?"

He nodded and stood up, walking away from the table with her. "What's up?" He asked, growing worried by the expression on her face.

"Do you have any plans tonight?"

"No, why?"

"Well erm…my father wants us to have dinner with him and my mom." She was shocked to see Vaughn smile, and nod.

"Yeah that sound's great." He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"It does?" She was unsure that she'd heard him properly. _He actually wants to have dinner with my father? What is wrong with him? _

"Yeah! Why did you think I was going to say no or something?" He asked a small smile on his lips.

"Yeah something like that." She sighed, relieved that he finally knew. _Now if only we can get through the actual dinner. _

Vaughn sat back down with Weiss as Sydney went off to cheerleading practise with the girls.

"So what was all that about?" Weiss gave him a curious look.

"She just wanted to see if I was free to have dinner with her father tonight." Vaughn took another bite of his sandwich, not thinking that his plans with Sydney were any big deal. But judging by Weiss's face he was wrong.

"And you said yes?"

He put down his sandwich and leaned back in his chair. "Yes why?" He was beginning to get confused. First Sydney was acting all nervous about him having dinner with her family, and now Weiss was acting like Vaughn had just committed a crime or something.

"Dude, have you met Jack Bristow?" _Ah man, I still have so much more to teach him…_

"Yes! He teaches me History each week. Why what's the big deal?" Vaughn just didn't get it. _Why was everyone acting weird?_

"Ok, we'll blame it on the fact that you haven't been in the school long. But prepare for another Kennedy High lesson…"


	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"Sydney I need to talk to you." Vaughn was standing next to Sydney's locker, watching as she took a chemistry book out of her bag and placed it inside the locker. His eyes wondered to the door of her locker, which was filled with photographs. Most of them were of her and her friends but one of them caught his eye. In the middle of all the pictures was a picture of Danny and Sydney. Judging by the background they looked like they were at the beach; Sydney was on Danny's back, both of them leaning towards the camera with huge smiles on their faces. Michael hated to admit it but they looked really happy together; really in love.

"Sure, what's up?" She smiled turning to face him, but he was looking straight past her. Slightly confused at what he was looking at, she followed his gaze, her eyes settling on the picture of her and Danny. She looked down at the floor, biting her lower lip. _I can't believe I forgot to take that picture out of my locker. _Michael stopped looking at the picture, running his hand through his tousled hair, watching the crowds that walked past them in the corridor.

Pulling down the picture, Sydney held it for a minute, remembering the day that it was taken. It was taken a couple of months ago when everything had been fine between her and Danny. It had been a nice day so Danny suggested that they hang out at the beach. They made it into a double date; Phoebe and Cole offered to come along with them. The picture had been taken right after Danny had told Sydney that he loved her.

She ran her fingers over the image of Danny, silently saying her goodbyes to him. He had been her first love, but she knew that he wouldn't be her last. She put the picture in her locker her past behind her.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" She closed her locker, smiling at Vaughn as she took his hand in hers and started to walk along with the rest of the crowd heading towards the exit of the school. She was relieved when Vaughn smiled back at her, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.

"I had a talk with Weiss before, and he told me about your dad."

"What about my dad?" Sydney asked, her forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Well he told me that I would be lucky if I survived dinner. He said that he's not the friendliest of people, especially when it comes to guys who are dating his daughter." Sydney smirked, watching the look of shear horror on Michael's face as he talked about her dad. "He also mentioned something about your dad working for the Government, torturing enemies of the United States!" Sydney burst out laughing, despite the sound of panic in Vaughn's voice.

They walked out of the school and Sydney dragged him away from the crowds of people so that they could talk. "Ok, part of what Weiss told you is true. My dad can be a little overprotective of me at times, and he had been known to be a quite harsh, to some people. But my mom's gonna be there, and she said that she would talk to him. He wouldn't go against her once she's said something to him; lets just say my dad isn't the only one in the family who can be a little scary at times!" She gave him a smile as she brought her lips up to his.

Vaughn was relieved but there was still one doubt in the back of his mind. "Ok, but what about him torturing people?"

Sydney pressed her lips together, and nodded slowly. "Well I hate to break it to you Michael but my dad was employed to get information out of prisoners, using any methods that he thought was appropriate!"

The colour in Vaughn's cheeks disappeared as his mouth dropped open. "Wh…what?" His voice got stuck in his throat, he only barely managed to get one word out.

Sydney's lips broke out into a smile, her brown eyes sparkling up at him. She shook her head at how gullible he was. "Michael relax! I'm just kidding. My dad has never worked for the United States Government and he probably never will do! Weiss was just trying to scare you, which I can see is an easy thing to do!" She smiled sweetly at him leaning forward to kiss him, but he turned his head so she ended up kissing his cheek instead of his lips.

"Hey that was mean!" She pouted at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That was mean? You're the mean one!" He wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her into his embrace.

"Well you should be less gullible and then I wouldn't have to be as mean!" She stuck out her tongue at him causing them both to laugh.

"So your dad has never tortured anyone?" He asked, just to make sure that he would survive the dinner.

Sydney shook her head, wrapping her arms around her neck so that their faces were only inches apart. "No, not unless you call yelling at the pizza guy when he brings us the wrong pizza, torture!" She smiled and planted a chaste kiss on his lips.

"You will pay for the whole trying to scare me thing you know!" He informed her, a sly smile on his face.

"Sure I will!" She played along, laughing at how adorable he looked when he was plotting against her. "I was thinking…we still have a few hours until we have to be at my dad's house, and my mom won't be back home yet. So you wanna come and hang out at my house?"

"Sounds fun." He smiled and they walked hand in hand to Sydney's house.

"So you think I'm going to survive dinner then?" Vaughn joked. He was lying on Sydney's bed playing with the edge of one of the cushions that were on her bed. The radio was on in the background removing the silence that was filling the whole house. Sydney smiled as she stepped out of her closet and looked at Michael, her hand resting on her hip.

"You're gonna be fine! Do you really think I'd let him hurt you? He'll be on his best behaviour I promise." She gave him another smile and walked back into her closet looking at the clothes infront of her. She didn't have a clue what she was going to wear to dinner, but she had a feeling that it didn't really matter; all her father would be interested in was how unsuitable Michael Vaughn was for his daughter. But she kept that fact a secret from Vaughn; it would only make things worse if he were to start acting all nervous around her father.

She finally made up her mind, choosing a pair of dark denim jeans and a baby blue shirt. Taking out a pair of black pointy shoes, she placed her clothes on the chair next to her desk and shut the closet door.

She playfully hit Michael's feet out of the way so that she could sit down at the foot of the bed. She glanced at Michael to find him looking at her; his eyes moving all over her face before settling at her eyes. She expected him to say something but he remained silent, a small smile on his face as he looked at her.

Her cheeks reddened and she looked away a shy smile taking over her lips. She looked around her room, but no matter how hard she tried she could still feel his eyes on her. Observing her every move.

"Ok, what?" She asked, her smile mirroring his.

Now it was his turn to blush. He looked down at the bed cover a small laugh escaping from his mouth. "I was just thinking!" He shrugged, a smile remaining on his lips.

"Ok! What about?" She asked, her eyes watching him just the way he had been watching her moments before. He raised his eyes and looked at her, his smile growing.

"You." His one word answer had a huge effect on Sydney; her cheeks reddened, her smile mirroring hers. Her heart was beating faster in her chest, his answer playing over and over again in her head. _You._

The room filled with silence as the song on the radio came to an end and both of them were too wrapped up in their own thoughts about each other to make conversation. Sydney cleared her throat, deciding that she would finish sorting out what she was going to wear for dinner. She stood up but Vaughn stopped her, his hand holding onto her arm, turning her back around so that she was facing him.

He smiled at her as he gently pulled her back onto the bed, so that she was lying next to him; her head hovering inches above his. He slowly ran his hand down her face his hand resting at her chin. She smiled as he guided her face towards his own, their lips meeting somewhere in the middle.

The kiss was gentle at first, but it quickly deepened, Sydney ran her hands through Vaughn's hair pulling him closer to her. His hands moved slowly up and down her back; the touch of his hands on her back sending chills up and down her spine.

After breaking the kiss, Sydney rested her head in the crook of Vaughn's neck, her arms draped loosely across his chest. He smiled as he kissed the top of her head, never wanting the happiness that he was feeling to go away, but the thought of what was to come in a couple of hours still scared him. Now matter how many times Sydney assured him that he would be ok.

"Sydney?" Irina tapped lightly on her daughter's bedroom door. After she had got back from work she showered and changed, reading for dinner at Jack's house. She knew that tonight was important for Sydney and Michael. But it was also important for her; she was finally ready to have a talk with Jack about what was going on between them. She had spent all day going over it in her head, sorting out her feelings and thoughts. _It's about time that I told Jack that I…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by Sydney's call from the other side of the door. She walked into the room and smiled. Michael was sitting on Sydney's bed, while Sydney adjusted her hair in the mirror.

"Hey mom." Sydney smiled at her mother, taking one final look of her outfit in the mirror before moving to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Hey sweetie." Irina smiled back and looked over at Michael and then back at Sydney, waiting for her daughter to introduce them.

"Oh right yeah. Mom this is Michael Vaughn. Michael meet my mom." Sydney's arms moved about infront of her as she did the introductions.

"It's nice to finally meet you Ms. Bristow." Michael gave her one of his charming smiles hoping that he could at least win over one of Sydney's parents. From what Eric had told him, Irina Derevko was nothing like her ex-husband; she would give a person a chance to get to know her before she passed judgement on them.

Irina laughed and shook her head. "Please call me Irina. And it's nice to meet you too." Sydney sighed, relieved that the first introduction went well. _Now all we need to do is win over my dad!_

"I just came to ask if you guys wanted a lift over to your father's?" She walked back towards the door, waiting for an answer.

"Sure!" Sydney nodded and grabbed Vaughn's hand, both of them following Irina out of the house.

Vaughn's heart beat faster as they walked up the driveway to Jack Bristow's front door. From the outside, the house looked fairly big, definitely too big for one person. Sydney gave his hand a comforting squeeze as Irina knocked on the door. He drew in a deep breath as the door slowly opened, revealing a stern looking Jack Bristow, dressed in black pants and a navy blue shirt.

"Hi Jack!" Irina spoke first. Jack smiled at her and then he turned to look at Michael.

"Well Sydney, aren't you going to introduce us?" Although he was speaking to his daughter, his eyes remained on Vaughn as he made his first impressions of him. Vaughn felt his face get hotter, the pressure of Jack's stare being too uncomfortable for him.

"Dad I'd like you to meet Michael Vaughn, my boyfriend." Sydney emphasised the word 'boyfriend' hoping that her father would listen to hear and realise that nothing he could say would make her stop dating Vaughn. "Michael, my father Jack Bristow."

"Mr. Bristow." He smiled, holding out his hand for Jack to shake. Jack's hands remained by his side showing no sign of moving. Irina realised that Jack was never going to shake his hand so she intervened, determined that she would make Jack be on his best behaviour.

Discreetly stepping forward, she placed her foot over his and stepped down. Jack's eyes bulged as the pain of Irina's heel took over his foot. She pressed down slightly harder causing him to turn to look at her. She nodded at him, her facial expressions telling him that he shouldn't mess with her; if he wanted to keep any feeling in his left foot he had to shake Michael's hand. Sydney and Vaughn looked at each other curiously, neither knowing what was happening.

Jack finally gave in; he shook Michael's hand and forced a smile on his face. Satisfied that he had at least made a small effort to make Michael feel welcome, Irina moved her foot and smiled innocently at Jack. He stepped aside and gestured for them to come inside.

Michael followed Sydney into the living room fearing that he wasn't going to come out of the house alive. Sydney's hand was still firmly in his, which Jack obviously didn't like. He kept looking down at their joined hands and none too subtly shaking his head.

"Jack can I talk to you for a minute? Outside!" Irina nodded towards the door indicating that she didn't want to speak infront of Sydney and Michael. Sydney silently thanked her mother, she knew that her mother was about to have 'the talk' with him, and make sure that he at least tried to be nice to Michael.

"Sure." He nodded, walking slowly to the door.

"You two just make yourself at home." She told them, knowing fairly well that Jack wasn't about to say it any time soon. She followed him into the kitchen, the smell of freshly made lasagne filling the room. Jack picked up a pair of oven gloves and took the dish out of the oven. Placing it on the kitchen counter, he removed the oven gloves and turned to face Irina.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" He folded his arms and leant back against the kitchen counter. Irina was leaning against the doorframe

Irina shook her head in disbelief. It was as though Jack didn't even realise just how rude he was being to Michael. "You. Do you not want your daughter to be happy Jack, is that why you do it?" Her hands were resting firmly on her hips, as she stepped further into the kitchen.

"Do what exactly?"

"Everytime that you meet one of Sydney's boyfriends, you try your best to make them feel so uncomfortable, it's like their under some sort of interrogation. You did it to Danny; you just did it to Vaughn! You even did it when she in the 6th grade and she invited Jake Anderson over for lunch."

"I'm only looking out for her!" Jack defended, cutting the lasagne into pieces and dishing it out onto the four plates.

"Jack you don't need to look out for her in that way! Sydney is old enough to decide who she wants to date, and if she thinks that Michael is suitable for her then that is her decision. And quite frankly I have to say that I agree with her!"

"What? How can you say that? We don't know anything about this Michael Vaughn."

Irina threw her hands up infront of her in exasperation. "That's what tonight was meant to be for Jack." Her voice had a slight sarcastic tone, but Jack ignored it. He was quite used to her sarcastic outbursts so they no longer had an effect on him. "So that we can get to know that guy that our daughter is falling in love with…"

He raised his eyebrow, his stomach feeling like it had just somersaulted. "She's in love with him?"

She rolled her eyes, her voice lowering so that Sydney couldn't hear her. "No, I'm not saying that. Look; call it a mother thing, but I can tell that there is something different about her. She has this sparkle in her eyes that was never there before; not even when she was dating Danny. She's not in love with him now, but given time I think that she could be. From what I've heard about him, he's a great guy and it wouldn't hurt you to be a little nicer to him!" She stated matter-of-factly.

"How about you deal with this your way and I'll deal with it mine!"

"No Jack. That isn't going to work! In your mind no one is good enough for your little girl, but you need to let her make her own decisions about that. You're not in control of her life Jack and the sooner you realise that, the better it'll be for all for us."

She picked up two of the plates of lasagne and walked towards the door. "Now we're going to go back in there and you are going to behave yourself, do you hear me?" She felt like she was shouting at a child, but Jack had to be set straight by someone, and that someone just happened to be here. He stared blankly back at her. "I mean it Jack, if you do anything to make Michael feel uncomfortable or say anything that is going to cause problems in our daughter's relationship, then I will not be held responsible for what I do to you!"

Jack knew better than to argue with Irina. They were both stubborn people, but Irina had this habit of making Jack do what she wanted. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have listened to a word that she said, but after everything that had been happening between them, he didn't want anything to come between them. Even if that did mean holding his tongue for the evening.


	31. Chapter 30

_hey! _

_thanks for all the great reviews! Time for the rest of the dinner... lol..._

**Chapter 30**

Jack followed Irina into the dining room placing the two plates that he was carrying onto the table. He looked at Irina and watched as she placed her plates down and discreetly adjusted the place mats. Jack shook his head, amazed at how things never changed. When they were married Irina was always fixing things that Jack would do, making sure that everything looked perfect. He had never known anyone to be such a perfectionist.

"Remember what I said Jack. Be nice!" She gave him one final warning before walking into the living room to get Sydney and Vaughn.

"Dinner's ready you two!" They smiled at her as she stood in the doorway. Sydney stood up and took hold of Vaughn's hand, walking towards her mother.

"Did you talk to him?" She whispered so that Michael wouldn't hear her.

Irina nodded and smiled. "Everything's been taken care of." She placed her arm around Sydney's shoulders and led the couple into the dining room.

Jack took a deep breath and smiled at them both as they walked in. Looking at Sydney, he had to admit that Irina was right, she did look really happy. _Ok, try not to ruin this Jack!_

"Have a seat." He gestured to the two seats infront of them, opting to seat Sydney and Michael together so that he could sit next to Irina.

"Dinner smells lovely dad!" Sydney commented as she took her seat next to Vaughn. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she tried her best to ignore any fears that she had and to focus on the fact that Irina had taken care of Jack. _Surely he wouldn't do anything to make mom angry…_

"Yeah it looks great." Vaughn added, speaking politely. He had always hated the meet the parents stage; but he had never come across anyone as unique as Jack Bristow.

Jack forced a smile and watched as Irina took a seat opposite her daughter. Irina looked up at him expectantly and casually pointed to the empty glasses that were on the table, indicating that he should get them drinks. Jack shook himself out of the trance that he had been in and cleared his throat.

"Can I get you any drinks?" He asked, his eyes moving from person to person.

"Red wine would be nice!" Irina smiled. _At least he's making an effort!_

"A glass of diet coke please!"

"Yeah make that two!" Vaughn replied. He drew in a deep breath. _Ok, I've been here for fifteen minutes and I'm still alive! Maybe I'll be able to escape with only minor injuries!_

Jack walked back into the kitchen and came back with the requested drinks. He took a seat next to Irina.

The room grew silent as everyone started eating. "So Michael," Irina thought that she would be best to start of the conversation; anything that Jack said had the potential to go wrong. "Sydney tells me that you moved here from France!"

Vaughn looked up and nodded. "Yeah that's right. I was born in Normandy, but we moved to Paris a couple of years later when my father got a new job."

Jack put down his fork and picked up his glass of wine. "What does your father do?" He asked curiously.

"He works in banking. He got a promotion over the summer and with it came the chance to manage the LA branch of the bank, which is why we moved here." Irina smiled at Jack, silently thanking him for making an effort.

"Are you liking California?" Irina asked as she took another bite of her lasagne. She had to admit that Jack was actually a good cook, despite certain cookery disasters in past years.

Vaughn nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "Yeah it's been great. I miss back home, but I'm finally starting to settle down here."

"That's good." The room fell silent again, except for the occasional clatter of the metal forks on the dinner plates. Irina glanced at Jack, urging him to start a conversation.

He sighed and said the first thing that came to his mind, which was obviously a mistake. "You had many girlfriends Michael?" Sydney almost choked on her food when she heard his question. She took a quick sip of her drink and cleared her throat, throwing her mother a worried glance. _Here we go…_

Michael looked at Sydney, then to Irina, before his eyes finally met Jack Bristow's cold stare. _Is it getting hotter in here?_ His heart began to beat faster than before, as he tried to think of an answer to give him. But luckily for him Irina spoke before he did.

"Jack," She voice was firm as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. He looked at her innocently and shrugged.

"What?"

Vaughn watched Sydney's parents, relieved that the pressure was no longer on him. Sydney also watched her parents curiously, there was something different between them, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"I was making conversation!" Jack tried to convince her that he was just doing as she said, but somehow Irina remained unconvinced.

"I need more wine. Jack kitchen now!" Irina picked up her glass of wine, which was still full to the top and walked into the kitchen, closely followed by Jack. She placed the glass down on the kitchen counter and turned to face him, her hand resting on her hip.

"What did I just tell you like 10 minutes ago?" She asked.

"About me being…" Irina cut him short.

"It was a rhetorical question Jack!" She pointed out, sarcasm audible in her voice. Jack rolled his eyes, preparing himself for what was to come. "What was that in there? 'You had many girlfriends Michael?'" She mimicked his voice, raising her eyebrows at him as she waited for an answer.

"I was making conversation!"

"Yeah because that was really a great conversation starter. If you were trying to make the pair of them feel more awkward than they already do, then score one for Jack because I think you just did that!" She turned away from him, and shook her head. She thought that he would have at least made it through half of the dinner without making at least one inappropriate comment.

"It was a perfectly good question!" Jack tried to defend himself.

"When I said that we were here to get to know him better, I was talking more along the lines of what his hobbies are, favourite colour, pets! Simple things like that Jack. Do you really think that Michael wants to tell us about his ex-girlfriends? Do you really think Sydney wants to hear about that?" Jack slowly shook his head.

Sydney rested her hand on Vaughn's knee and smiled at him. "You ok?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Sure I'm great! My girlfriend's dad hates me…" Sydney placed her lips on his preventing him from saying anything else.

"My dad doesn't hate you! He's just being all Jack-like. Seriously, you're doing fine!" She smiled as she reassured him, her smile making all of this seem worth it.

"Will you least apologise when you go back out there?" Irina asked throwing her hands up in the air.

Jack sighed, his eyes falling to the floor. He didn't have to look at Irina to know that she was watching him; her eyes waiting for some sign of agreement from him.

"Look Jack, if you won't do it for Sydney, will you at least apologise for me?" Jack raised his eyes, and slowly nodded. The truth was he would do anything for her; whether that meant swallowing his pride and at least trying to get along with Michael.

"Ok!" Irina smiled and nodded her head towards the door. "Come on."

Jack apologised to Michael, genuinely extending out his hand for Michael to shake. Vaughn accepted, and everybody went back to eating their dinner. The room was no longer filled with silence as Jack started talking to Michael about sports, while Sydney and Irina smiled at each other, both relived that Jack was actually making an effort with Michael.

A little while after they had finished eating, Sydney and Vaughn got ready to leave. Irina had told Sydney that she wanted to stay for a while to talk to Jack, so they would have to walk home. Sydney put on her jacket and hugged her father.

"Thanks for dinner dad!" She kissed him on the cheek and smiled. She was happy that most of the evening had gone well, and it looked like Vaughn wasn't going to do what Danny did and avoid her for the next few months.

"Anytime sweetheart." Jack smiled at his daughter and then turned his attention back onto Vaughn. He looked at him sternly for a minute and then shook his hand again.

"You take good care of my daughter!" It sounded more like an order than a request, but Sydney knew that he was only doing his 'protective daughter routine'.

"Don't worry, I plan too!" Michael placed his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He smiled at her and then turned back to see Jack's once expressionless face now holding a smile.

After they had left, Irina and Jack sat around the kitchen table finishing what was left of the wine. Irina's heart was pounding in her chest as she tried to pluck up the courage to tell Jack what she had been waiting all day to say to him. He sensed that there was something wrong with her, she hadn't said anything in over ten minutes, and she seemed to be finding her wineglass fascinating to watch.

"Is everything ok?" He asked, concern filling his voice.

"Yes. Actually…no it's not." Jack looked at her curiously, and urged her to continue. "I want to talk, about us."

"Ok."

"The past couple of days, all I've been able to think about is what's been going on between us. I thought back to our wedding day; it was the happiest day of my life and I honestly thought that the rest of my life would be like that. But then things changed between us Jack, we changed, we became different people."

"Where exactly are you going with this Irina?"

"The more I thought about us, the more I realised that although everything changed between us, one thing remained the same. My love for you." She wiped a fallen tear off her cheek and raised her eyes from her wineglass and looked at Jack. He looked shocked at her revelation, but a small smile was slowly creeping onto his face.

"You still love me?"

She nodded, her smile mirroring his. "Yes I do. I have never stopped loving you Jack, and I probably never will. I know that there are probably a ton of reasons for why we wouldn't work out, but I'm willing to give us another shot if you are!" She reached across the table and placed her hand over his. Jack's smile grew as he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed it lightly and then held it gently in his own.

"I'd like that a lot."


	32. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

"So, how was it?" Francie asked as she sat down next to Sydney in the cafeteria. She placed her lunch tray on the table and looked at Sydney, ready to head al the details from the 'meet-the-parents dinner. Sydney smiled at her and then noticed how all of her friends' attention was now on her.

"It was a little awkward at first. My dad wasn't exactly being the friendliest of people." She placed another French fry in her mouth before continuing. "He asked Michael how many girlfriends he had had!" Piper threw her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.

"He actually said that?" Sydney's eyes widened as she nodded. "What did Michael say to that?"

"Well luckily he didn't have to answer. My mom interrupted before he could, and then her and my dad went into the kitchen. Then when they came back my dad was acting like a whole other person! I seriously don't know what she said to him but whatever it was it did that trick! After that him and Michael were talking about everything; sports, music, films."

"So Michael might actually be one of the first guys that your dad has approved of!" Phoebe stated, a small smile on her face.

"Well I wouldn't say he approves of him…he's just too scared of my mom to act differently!" Whether her father's likeness for Vaughn was true or not, Sydney was still happy that she could actually date someone without having to worry that jack Bristow was going to scare them away. "So have you and Eric been on your first official date yet?"

"No not yet. I was thinking of asking him to the fair tonight, but I haven't seen much of him today!" The fair came to LA every couple of months. It was always a popular attraction with teenagers from all over the city who were looking for a fun time. And that's exactly what they got when they went to the fair. There were rides, Ferris wheels, arcade games, fast food joints and small bands from the area provided live music.

"Sounds fun!" Sydney smiled. "Where is Eric anyways?" She couldn't see Vaughn anywhere in the cafeteria, so she assumed that wherever Weiss was, Vaughn would be close behind.

"Him and Michael have gone down to the ice rink. The list of people who made it onto the hockey team is being posted on the bulletin board." Drinking the rest of her soda, Sydney placed the empty can on her lunch tray and looked around the cafeteria. She spotted Danny in the lunch queue and knew it would only be a matter of minutes before he joined them at the table. She picked up her corduroy jacket and turned to look at Paige.

"You wanna walk down and see them?"

"Sure!" Walking through the crowded cafeteria, Paige and Sydney gained some stares from people at nearby tables. It was one of the things that came with being popular, people always watched your every move. Paige took hold of Sydney's hand and pulled her through the crowds that filled the hallways. After the occasional "hey Sydney" from random people passing by, they were finally outside and away from the crowds.

"You and Michael should come with us tonight. We could make it into a double date!" Paige suggested as they crossed the football field and walked up to the ice rink.

"Yeah ok! I was gonna go anyway but it'll be fun as a double date!" She smiled, linking her arm though Paige's.

Paige nodded. "Yeah it will be."

"But are you sure that you guys don't want to be alone tonight?" Sydney knew that the fair would be fun with the four of them but she didn't want to feel like her and Vaughn were intruding on Weiss and Paige's date.

"The fair will be more fun with the four of us. Besides if me and Eric want to be alone, we'll just tell you guys to get lost." Paige replied with a smirk. Sydney playfully nudged her side, causing Paige to pull tongues at her. "There they are!" Paige pointed infront of her, and sure enough there was Michael and Eric walking towards them, a huge grin on both of their faces.

"Hey guys." Sydney said as they got nearer. She slid her arm out of Paige's and walked towards Vaughn. He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a light kiss on her lips.

"Hey you!" Sydney playfully rubbed her node against his, her smile mirroring his own. She turned her head too see Weiss passionately kiss Paige, his hands cupping her face as hers rested around his neck.

"They are so cute!" Sydney sighed, leaning her head against Michael's, his arms still wrapped firmly around her. He looked at his friend and his new girlfriend for a minute and then turned his attention back to Sydney.

"I could say exactly the same thing about you." Sydney's cheeks reddened as an embarrassed smile appeared on her face. Weiss and Paige eventually broke apart, both of them slightly out of breath.

"So did you guys make it onto the hockey team?" Paige asked, her eyes moving from Eric to Michael and then back to Eric again. Weiss and Vaughn looked at each other, their faces breaking out into huge smiles.

"Yeah we did!" They said in unison, the excitement audible in their voices.

"Oh my God, that's great." Paige threw her arms around Weiss's neck, and picked her up and spun her round in a circle. Sydney hugged Vaughn and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I'm so proud of you." She whispered in his ear as she gave him another hug.

Sydney, Piper, and Prue walked home together later that day. Cole and Leo had football practice and Phoebe and Paige had decided to go shopping in the mall. "Are you guys going to the fair tonight?" Sydney asked, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

"No, we were going to but then we decided that we'd go and hang out at P3 instead." Piper replied, linking her arm through her sister's. "Is Andy coming tonight?" Piper turned to face her sister as they stopped to cross the road.

"Yeah, I asked him to come and he said he'd show." She smiled; everything was how it used to be before she left. She was going to school like she used to, hanging out with her sisters, friends, and even her boyfriend.

"Cool. You guys should stop by after the fair." Piper suggested to Sydney.

"Yeah maybe. I doubt my mom would even notice, she was acting weird this morning."

"What do you mean?"

Sydney thought back to that morning, when she had came downstairs for breakfast. Her mother was definitely acting strange, but Sydney had no idea why. "She was all giddy and she seemed like she was in her own little world!" She shrugged.

"Maybe she's in love!" Prue jokingly suggested. Sydney laughed. _Yeah right! There's no one in her life who she's in love with. She doesn't even have a boyfriend!_ _No, there's got to be something else behind her strange behaviour and I'm going to find out what!_

"What about this one?" Phoebe held up a lime green T-shirt and waved it around infront of her sister's face. Paige raised one eyebrow and rested her hands on her hips.

"Uh, no!" She replied sarcastically. She had decided to buy a new top for her double date that night and Phoebe had offered come along to help her. But so far all they had done was pick out stupid outfits and pull funny poses in the mirrors in the changing rooms. Paige had always felt like her and Phoebe had a closer bond; she put it down to the fact that they were the two youngest sisters. They always had fun no matter what they did.

"What's wrong with it? I think it would look dashing on you!" Phoebe laughed placing the hideous top back on the rack where it belonged.

"What about this?" Paige asked, picking up a hanger and removing the garment from the rail. Phoebe looked at the top in her sister's hand; it was a mint green and pink stripy top, which hung off the shoulders, but there was also a tie that came from the centre of the top and fastened around the neck. It was so different; so Paige.

"That's gorgeous. You should buy it! And I'll lend you my denim skirt, it'll look great with that!" Phoebe offered.

"You'll let me borrow your skirt?"

"Of course I will!" She put her arm around Paige's shoulders and led her towards the till. "What do you think sisters are for…to borrow clothes from to impress members of the opposite sex!"


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter 32 

As soon as the four of them stepped out of Weiss's car, they were greeted with fairground music, and surrounded by crowds of people who were all making their way to the entrance. Vaughn placed his arm around Sydney's shoulders gently pulling her into his embrace, her arm automatically wrapping around his waist. With her free hand she reached up and linked her fingers with Vaughn's, as his hand rested protectively on her shoulder.

Eric looked towards the fair and shuddered. He could see one of the small rollercoasters, as a cart full of people quickly found it's way to the bottom of a large dip. Their screams filled his ears causing his stomach to dip, just as the ride had done seconds before. He had never told anyone about his fear of rollercoasters before, and he knew that they would soon find out especially with Sydney watching him curiously out of the corner of her eye. He quickly looked away from the ride and pretended that he was simply scanning the crowds to see if he recognised anyone; but it was too late she knew that something was wrong.

"Weiss is everything ok?" Vaughn and Paige looked at him after hearing her question, concern visible on both their faces.

Weiss cleared his throat, a forced smile on his lips. "Er…sure!" He knew that he didn't sound too convincing; there was just no way that they would buy what he was saying.

"Are you sure?" Paige asked. She placed a comforting hand on his back and smiled at him, silently letting him know that he could trust her with whatever the problem was. He took a deep breath and nodded to her. Paige and Michael seemed content with his answer, but Sydney remained unconvinced. She glanced curiously at him and watched as he nervously looked at something in the distance.

She followed his gaze, her eyes falling on a rollercoaster, which at first glance looked like the highest ride at the fair, except for the giant Ferris wheel that was in the centre of the fair. Suddenly everything fitted into place.

"Weiss, do you not like rollercoasters?" Weiss looked at her, wondering how she knew, but then realised that the look of shear panic on his face everytime he looked at the ride, was probably what gave him away.

"I guess you could say that!" He admitted, his cheeks colouring slightly. _I don't know what I'm so embarrassed about…everybody's afraid of something right? My fear just happens to have multiple dips and turns, and travels at a speed that is potentially dangerous for anybody onboard._

"How could you not like rollercoasters? They're so much fun!" Vaughn had always enjoyed rollercoasters. Back when he was in France, he used to go to Disneyland every year with his parents, and he would ride at each rollercoaster at least once.

"They scare the hell out of me! I seriously don't know how you find being thrown around in that small carriage fun! It's torture!"

Sydney walked over to Weiss, dragging Vaughn along with her. She linked her arm through his and smiled at him. "If you don't like rollercoasters, you don't have to go on them. No-one's gonna drag you onto them!" She gently reassured him, causing him to smile. He reached out and took hold of Paige's hand, and pulled her towards him, and the four of them walked into the fair in one long line.

They walked through the fair, joking and laughing while looking at the various rides and stalls. "Let's go on the bumper cars!" Sydney suggested, quickly dragging Vaughn towards the cars; Weiss and Paige following closely behind. They joined the back of the queue, waiting until it was their turn.

Sydney took a step closer to Michael, and placed her arms around his waist, her head resting on his chest. He smiled at her gesture and gently kissed the top of her head, as he wrapped his arms securely around her. She could hear his heart beating as his chest steadily rose and then fall. She snuggled closer into his embrace, happy at how comfortable she felt in his presence.

"I'm warning you guys now, I am awful behind the wheel of a car!" Paige said, watching one car in particular, where the woman sitting in it had absolutely no control of the car. _Yep, that's gonna be me_…

"Don't worry about it! That's half of the fun!" Weiss reassured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, her arm wrapping around his waist while her other hand rested on his chest. Sydney smiled at them both, feeling happy about just how cute her two friends were and she was glad that she had contributed to helping them start dating.

The cars finally stopped and everyone excited the ride, allowing the next group of people to have their turn. Sydney squealed with excitement as she grabbed Vaughn's hand and ran towards the first empty car that she could find. Vaughn couldn't help but laugh at her, she was like a little girl who was at the fair for the first time; getting excited about every little thing. It was just one of the things that he liked about her.

Weiss, Paige, and Vaughn each found a car and sat down, fastening the seatbelt. The music started playing and the main lights dimmed, as the bright disco lights came on. Sydney immediately put her foot down on the pedal and turned the wheel, crashing into another car.

"Oops!" The little boy in the car looked at her and laughed, before driving past her ready to crash into more people.

Vaughn raced alongside Weiss, bumping into his car at every opportunity. Paige pressed the pedal down and moved the wheel, only she was moving anywhere. She was trapped in the middle of some cars that had crashed around her.

"I'm stuck!" She yelled out, not knowing exactly who she was talking to. Weiss and Vaughn went passed her and waved to her, as there was nothing that they could do to help. She laughed to herself and rested her head against the steering wheel.

Sydney looked around and spotted Michael. A mischievous smile took over her normally sweet one, as she quickly made her way over to him and bumped into the back of his car, causing him to move forward in his seat. He turned around to see who had bumped into him, and was greeted by an innocent smile.

"Hi honey!" She moved her car so that she was beside him. "My bad!" She shrugged and drove off, unable to control her laughter.

"Ooh, you're gonna pay for that Bristow!" He shouted as he chased after her car. She looked behind her and screamed as she realised that he was catching up with her, a playful look on his face. She managed to successfully wind her way through the other cars with only a few minor bumps. Just when she thought that she had gotten away from him, her car was pushed forward as he bumped into the back of it. She slowly turned her head to look at him, her eyebrows raised.

"Hello dear!" He mimicked the voice that she had used earlier, his now innocent face mirroring the one that she had had. "Looks like this one was _my_ bad!" He smirked as he drove off. He turned back to look at her and watched as she slowly shook her head, a small smile on her face.

Paige linked her fingers with Eric's as they walked away from the bumper cars. "I cannot believe I spent the majority of that time stuck between about four other cars!" Eric laughed at her, his thumb slowly moving over her hand.

"Yeah well at least you weren't chased around everywhere like those two!" He commented, nodding towards Sydney and Vaughn who were walking infront of them, their arms wrapped around each other.

They walked around the fair, looking for something that they wanted to do next. One stall in particular caught Paige's attention and she quickly dragged Weiss towards it; Sydney and Vaughn following closely behind.

The back of the stall was covered in teddy bears, ranging from Disney characters to just plain bears. Paige watched as one guy stepped up, and started throwing darts at the dartboard, wanting to win his wife a present. After throwing all the darts, the man behind the stall added up his total and handed the woman a teddy bear of her chose. As they walked away, the man's attention focused on the four of them.

"Care to give it a try?" He asked, holding the darts out to Vaughn and Weiss. They looked at each other neither one knowing what to say. The man noticed their hesitation and wasn't about to lose out on some customers.

"How about trying to win something for these two beautiful girls?" Paige and Sydney looked at each other and blushed at his comment.

The guys looked at their girlfriends and smiled. "Ok."

He handed them 3 darts each. "Throw over 35 and you win a prize!" He stepped out of the way while Weiss took his go. Sydney and Paige cheered after he threw them, earning them so funny glances from people walking past.

The guy behind the stall counted Weiss's total and smiled. He turned to Sydney and Paige. "So which of you two lucky girls gets the prize?" He asked, looking at each of them as he waited for an answer. Paige smiled and stepped forward.

"I believe that would be me!" Weiss smiled at her, and moved so that he was standing next to her, his hand resting on her back.

"Which one do you want?" He asked, as her eyes scanned over all the teddy bears.

"I'll have that cute bear, with the yellow stripy jumper on please!" She told him, and kissed Eric on the cheek while she waited for the man to get it down. "Thank you." She whispered in Weiss's ear before the man handed her the bear. She hugged the bear in one arm and Weiss in the other as they went and stood with Sydney while Vaughn took his go.

"Go Vaughn! Go Vaughn!" Vaughn started laughing as he heard their cheers, but he still managed to throw a total of 39.

The man turned to Sydney, waiting to see what toy she wanted. "Minnie Mouse please!" Michael looked at her, and smiled at her choice. "Hey, don't tease me! I love Minnie and Mickey!" She shrugged as she picked up the Mouse and the four of them walked off together.

They stood at the entrance for the rollercoaster, Weiss's eyes following one of the carts as it went down a dip. He felt nauseous looking at it, but everyone on the ride seemed to be having a good time.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait with you?" Paige offered. Her, Sydney, and Michael were going to go on the ride but she felt bad for leaving Eric behind. Weiss took one last look at the ride and then focused his attention on her.

"There's no need." _I can't believe I'm about to say this. _"I'm gonna come on it with you guys." His heart beat faster in his chest, at the realization of what he had just agreed to.

"But I thought you didn't like rollercoasters?" Sydney asked.

"I don't! But you only live once, so why not!" _oh my God! I'm actually going to do this…_

Paige stepped towards him, her hands cupping his face. She placed a soft, gentle kiss on his lips, and smiled at him. "I'll take care of you. I promise!" She took hold of his hand and the four of them joined the queue for the ride.

"Remind me again why I'm doing this!" Weiss asked, as he held on tightly to the bar infront of him. People were still getting on the ride, but he knew that in a matter of minutes, the ride would start and he would have no way off.

"Because you had the sudden urge to feel the wind in your hair!" Paige joked, but all Weiss could do was nod.

Sydney leaned forward and hugged him from behind. "Eric, you'll be fine!"

"Come on, just don't think about it." Paige told him, taking one of his hands off the bar and placing it in her own. He automatically gripped onto her hand. His gaze was fixed on the track infront of them as his heart beat faster, his breaths getting shallower. "Don't look forward." She gently turned his head so that he was looking at her and not the ride. "Look at me instead!" She smiled sweetly at him, and was surprised to see that he actually smiled back. "Talk to me, it'll help take your mind off it!"

"Ok." He took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving her face. "You look beautif…ARGH!" His sentence ended quickly as the ride took off. His words were replaced by screams as they dipped over numerous hills. He tightened his grip on Paige's hand, but she didn't seem to mind as she was having too much fun on the ride.

"I cannot believe I did that!" Weiss exclaimed as they came off the ride. His legs felt like jelly as he slowly walked away.

"See, I told you I'd take care of you!" Paige linked her arm through with his, a huge smile on her face.

"I am never doing that again!" Weiss promised himself. Paige turned to face him, her arms wrapping around his neck. She slowly moved her face closer to his, their lips meeting in the middle.

"Well if ever rollercoaster ended that way I may be convinced to go on a few more!" Paige laughed at him and carried on walking.

The four of them joined the queue for the Ferris wheel. Sydney shivered as a breeze came over her. Vaughn stepped closer to her, opening out the front of his jacket so that she could snuggle inside it. She gladly accepted his offer, and stood with her back against his chest, his jacket pulled around the two of them, while his arms wrapped around her stomach. She turned her head and kissed his cheek, as his head was resting on her shoulder.

She groaned when it was their turn to go on the wheel, she was too comfortable in Michael's embrace that she didn't want to move. But reluctantly she did and they got on the ride.

As they sat down, Vaughn wrapped his arm around her, and she snuggled into him, her head resting on his chest. In the seat behind them, Paige was also sat in Weiss's arms, a smile on her face.

"I wanted to tell you before that you looked beautiful, but let's just say that the rollercoaster got in the way!" Paige laughed at him, as he gently kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you!" She blushed at his comment, her smile growing.


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 33 

"Jack, we can't keep hiding this from her. She's gonna find out sooner or later!" Irina played with her necklace as she spoke to Jack on the phone. It had been two months since that had started dating again, and they still hadn't spoken to Sydney about it.

"I know, I'm too old for all this sneaking around." Jack joked. Irina picked up her mug of coffee and took a sip, before placing it back down onto the kitchen table.

"All the more reason for us to tell her. Besides, I want us to spend Christmas together this year, as a family and it'll be kinda hard for is to do that if she doesn't know about us." Irina had been thinking about this for a while, she wanted Jack to be with them for Christmas day.

"Well then, it looks like we have two weeks to tell her." Jack replied. Irina looked up as Sydney walked into the kitchen, a smile on her face.

"Mom, are you nearly finished with the phone? I wanted to call Phoebe." She walked over to the fridge while she waited for her mother's answer.

"Yeah, I'll only be a couple more minutes."

"Thanks!" Sydney turned to leave, but turned around when she reached the doorway. "Who are you talking to anyways?"

"Katya." Irina hated lying to her, but she knew that it would only be for a little while longer.

"Oh, tell her I said hey!" She went back upstairs to finish doing her homework while she waited for the phone.

"So, my new name's Katya now is it?" Jack asked curiously, his tone slightly comical.

Irina sighed. "Well what did you expect me to do? I couldn't exactly say it was you, she thinks that the two of you are incapable of having a civil conversation, which 9 times out of 10 it is!" She pointed out, her ears filling with the sound of Jack's laughter. "My sister was just the first person that came into my head." She explained, laughing along with him.

"I best let you go. Talk to you later?"

"Of course. Bye Jack." Irina hung up the phone and sat back in the chair. She wasn't exactly looking forward to telling Sydney, but it had to go better than the time when they told her about their divorce.

"You're still coming tomorrow right?" Phoebe asked, resting the phone on her shoulder as she tried to take a cookie off Prue's plate. Everytime her hand got within inches of the plate, Prue slapped it away.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss a party. I'm probably having dinner with my mom and then I'll go over to my dad's, but I'll be free in the night!" Sydney idly flicked through a magazine as she talked, her eyes scanning over the pages, looking for any interesting articles. Phoebe smiled triumphantly, as she finally managed to get her hands on a cookie. She waved it infront of Prue's face before taking a bite.

"Is it still ok if Michael comes?"

"Syd, he's your boyfriend. You don't have to ask!" Sydney smiled. The past couple of months had been great; Michael and Eric had quickly fitted in with all of her friends, much to the delight of Sydney and Paige. Sydney was grateful that everyone accepted them. Danny had started to keep his distance from Sydney and Vaughn; it was harder for him to cause trouble with the guy that was dating the most popular girl in school.

"Thanks!"

Phoebe tried to take another biscuit from Prue's plate, but Prue walked out of the kitchen before she could; taking the plate with her. "Older sisters suck!" She complained to Sydney, who just laughed at her.

"You know you love her really."

"Yeah, I guess. Oh I forgot to tell you. Cole's parent's cancelled their trip to Fiji, so we can't have the New Years party over at his house anymore." Sydney could hear the disappointment in Phoebe's voice. Every New Year's Eve, they always had a party s that they could celebrate the start of a new year together, and also the start of another year of their friendship. Last year they had the party at Danny's, but that wouldn't be happening again this year.

"I could always ask my mom if we could have it here. I doubt she has any plans, so I could just ask her to go over to Katya's for a couple of hours. Or if needs be I could send her to my dad's, although I'm pretty sure that she'd rather go to her sister's." Sydney didn't see why they couldn't have it at her house; after all it was big enough, and if her mother wasn't going to use it she might as well. There was onlyone problem; convincing Irina Derevko to let her daughter have a house party. She dreaded to think how that conversation might end.

"Mom?" Sydney poked her head through the study doors. Her mother was sat at her desk marking English assignments.

"Yes dear?"

"Have you got a minute? There's something that I want to talk to you about." Sydney edged closer into the room and smiled at her mother.

"Of course." She nodded towards the couch at the side of the room, motioning for her to take a seat. She stood up and went to sit beside her daughter. _Well, there's no time like the present… _

"There's actually something that I've been meaning to discuss with you. But you go first."   
Sydney nodded and took a deep breath. "Ok, well it's about New Year's Eve." She looked at her mother, searching for some sign of a response, but there was none. "You see, we were meant to be having a party at Cole's house, but his parents already have plans. SO I was wondering if…" 

"You could have the party here." Irina finished her sentence. Normally she would have said no, they both knew that. But now that she was minutes away from getting her secret off her chest, the last thing that she wanted to do was to make her pissed by saying no.

Sydney held her breath, watching her mother out of the corner of her eye. She could tell that she was thinking about it, so there was still a chance that her answer wouldn't be no.

After a few minutes, Irina spoke again. "Ok Syd, you can have the party here, on one condition…" Sydney smiled at her, but managed to keep most of her excitement inside as she waited to hear what else Irina had to say. "You look after the house! I don't want anything broken, nothing ruined and nobody gets drunk. I'm not having people throwing up all over my carpet." She had the carpet imported from Russia, they were all made from the finest material that Russia had to offer, and they couldn't be easily replaced.

"Ok." Sydney threw her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her. "Thank you." _I hope you'll still be thanking me in a minute…_

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Irina sighed, picking up her daughter's hands and holding them in her own. "It's about your father…"

Sydney panicked. "Is he ok?" The expression on Irina's face made Sydney think that something had happened to him.

"Yes, he's fine." Irina reassured her. She paused not quite sure of how she should approach the subject. "You see, the past couple of months, him and I have been seeing a lot of each other. And when you love somebody the way I loved your father, you'll find that those feelings never go away. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that…"

"Oh. My. God!" She's mouth feel open as she realized what she was about to say. Irina looked at her, surprised by her interruption.

"What?"

"You guys are back together, aren't you?" Irina's cheeks reddened as her eyes fell to the floor. Sydney covered her mouth with her hands, but Irina could still see the smile that was behind her hands.

Sydney had always wanted her mom and dad to get back together. She hated having to split her time between them, although she continued to do it so that she could see both of her parents. She wanted them to be a proper family again; one that lived in the same house, ate meals together, spent the holidays together. _Oh my God, she's so gonna ask him to spend Christmas with us._

"So you're not angry or upset about it?"

"Are you kidding me? This is great." She hugged her mother again. "I'm so happy for you guys." Irina hugged her daughter back, relieved that she had taken the news well. "So I guess he'll be spending Christmas with us?"

"Well, as long as it's ok with you…" Sydney's smile was the only answer that Irina needed.


	35. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

A week before Christmas, Sydney was sat on Vaughn's bed, telling him about the conversation she had had with her mother. Although she had had a couple of days to think it over, she still couldn't believe that it was actually happening; they were back together.

"So are you ok about it all?" Vaughn asked, running his hand through her hair. They were lying down on the bed, Sydney's head resting on his chest. She was about to answer his question when the phone on his bedside table rang. He sighed as he reached over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey buddy!"

"Weiss, what's up?" Sydney remained lying on Vaughn's chest as he spoke to his friend. Vaughn's question was still running through her head, she wasn't paying any attention to what they were saying until she heard her name.

"Sydney? You called my house to talk to my girlfriend?" Sydney glanced up at Vaughn, a small smile on her face as she took the phone off him.

"Hey Weiss." Vaughn went back to playing with her hair, while he listened to only one half of the conversation.

"Hi Syd. Do you know what Paige has got me for Christmas?" Weiss came straight out with the question that he had been thinking about for the past couple of days.

Sydney laughed, knowing where this conversation was heading. "Yes I do." Weiss waited for her to continue but she never did.

"So…?"

"So, I'm not going to tell you." She teased, rolling her eyes at Vaughn.

"Oh come on! I'll tell you what Vaughn's bought you…"

"Eric, I don't want to know what he has bought me, I want it to be a surprise. Just like it will be when Paige gives you yours."

"Hey! Tell him that your present is a surprise and I want to keep it that way." Vaughn told her.

She started to speak again, but Weiss cut her off. "It's ok, I heard him." He sighed, realizing that she wasn't going to tell him. "Ok, so can you at least give me some idea of what I should get her?"

She smiled. "Now that I can do!" I sat up on the bed, crossing her legs beneath her. Vaughn was disappointed that she was no longer leaning on him, he missed the feeling of her in his arms. "So what were you thinking of getting her?"

"That is the problem! I have absolutely no idea!" He started to panic on the other end of the phone, as he realized that he didn't have a clue what to buy his girlfriend.

Sydney smiled slightly. _It's cute how Eric's panicking about this, it shows that he really cares about her…_ "Ok, Weiss calm down. Has she mentioned anything that she might like?"

"Nope."

Vaughn picked up the sports magazine that was on the floor next to his bed; he had a feeling that the conversation might last a while.

"Right, well there's jewelry, erm…or if you wanted to get her something a little more personal, she likes painting! So maybe you could get her like an art book or something." Sydney suggested.

"Yeah, maybe I could get her a book on that French artist she likes…" He tried to think back to the conversation that they had had about the artist; but he couldn't remember the guys name.

"That's a good idea! And you know, I hear French is in this season." She teased, watching as Vaughn's head appeared from behind the magazine. His mouth fell open as he stared back at her; shock all over his face.

"I'd be careful if I were you Bristow. I might start to get the impression that you're only dating me so that you have the latest fashion accessory!" Vaughn feigned hurt, folding his arms infront of him.

"Aww," Sydney leaned towards him, her smile still on her face. "You know that will never be true!" She told him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. She smiled at him, seeing his frown replaced with a smile that mirrored her own.

"Ew, guys you do know that I can hear you right?" They both laughed as Weiss's disgusted voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Sorry Weiss." Sydney apologized, placing another quick kiss on Vaughn's lips. "So, are you all sorted now?"

Weiss genuinely smiled, relieved that he now had something to buy her. "Yeah, I might go down to the mall and see what I can find."

"Great. And you know, if all else fails, you always have the fallback plan…jewelry and chocolate." Vaughn rolled his eyes. He would never understand why girls loved those two things so much; to him they were just a bunch of stones and a snack. He really didn't see what the big deal was.

"Thanks Sydney. Talk to you guys later." Sydney hung up the phone and handed it back to Vaughn.

He took the phone off her and put it back on the table. "So what's this I hear about French being in this season?" He asked, his eyebrows raised. Sydney laughed, and lay down beside him on the bed, his arms wrapping around her.

"Well it's true. I mean you have the French fry," He laughed as she began counting them off on her hands. "French guys, French artists and my two favourite French things."

He gently brushed her hair out of her face. "Oh yeah? And what would they be?"

She moved closer to him, lifting her hand to stroke his cheek. "First, is French kisses," She smiled as she kissed him.

"And what comes next?" He asked, their faces only inches apart. She paused, her gaze getting lost in his eyes.

"You."

"So you're gonna tell her?" Weiss asked, skating over to Vaughn. They were at the ice rink, and for the past twenty minutes that had been talking about Paige and Sydney.

"Yeah. I was going to tell her yesterday, but then I decided I'd wait until Christmas day." He hit the puck over to Weiss and skated over to the net. "I think I'll tell her when I give her the present, which by the way, I wasn't impressed that you were going to tell her what it was…"

"Hey!" Weiss stopped skating. "I wouldn't have told her the truth. I would have made something else up…but it doesn't matter. She didn't want to know, so your secret is still safe!" Weiss pointed out, hitting the puck to the back of the net.


	36. Chapter 35

_hey_

_**Lil Aussie Alias Chick ** i haven't added any new chapters on AA or Sd-1 so they're still up to chap 42 :) _

_thanks for all the great reviews guys! here's the next chap_

**Chapter 35**

Sydney woke up at 10:30 on Christmas day. She looked at the clock on her bed stand and groaned, wanting to hide back under the covers and go asleep. She thought back to when she was younger; the excitement of Christmas keeping her up most of the night, and causing her to get up in the early hours of the morning, much to the frustration of her parents. Christmas just wasn't the same as it was all those years ago, she no longer anticipated its arrival, or tried to wake her parents up at 4am just so she could open her presents. But she knew that this Christmas would be fun; she was having dinner with both of her parents, and then she had the Halliwell's party to go to.

Sighing, she threw back the covers and got out of bed. Her father would be there soon, and she doubted that he would be pleased to find that she was still in bed. She showered and dressed in the new jeans and blue jumper that her mother had bought her days before.

Irina was busy in the kitchen, preparing the dinner for when Jack arrived. She hadn't been able to sleep well the night before; she was far too excited about him spending the day with them. Although she wouldn't openly admit it, she had missed not having him around on Christmas day, or on any day for that matter.

"Merry Christmas mom!" She exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen and straight into her mother's embrace.

"Merry Christmas to you too!" She replied, hugging her closely. "They look goo on you." She commented, nodding at Sydney's clothes.

"Yeah, well the person who picked them has very great taste!"

Irina smiled at her. "Thanks." Her expression suddenly changed, her left eyebrow raised, her smile long gone from her face. "But compliments won't get you out of helping me." She joked, pointing towards the bag of potatoes that were waiting to be peeled.

Irina answered the door and smiled brightly at Jack. "Happy Christmas!" She gave him a hug and invited him in.

He gave her a kiss. "Yeah you too!" He placed the bags of presents beside the tree ready to be opened once they'd had dinner.

Sydney came down the stairs and joined them, wishing her father a merry Christmas. She watched how her parents acted around each other, and it was like nothing had changed between them. They were both so comfortable around each other; they were finally a family again.

After dinner, Jack and Irina were sat on the couch, each drinking a glass of wine. Jack had his arm around her, her head lightly resting on his shoulder. Sydney smiled at them, loving the happy expressions that were written on both of their faces. She hadn't seen them this happy for a long time, and now that they were, she didn't want it to stop. The doorbell rang, pulling her from her thoughts.

She stood up to get it, not wanting to disturb her parents, and besides, she already knew it was for her.

"Merry Christmas!" She smiled at him, as he stood on her doorstep, a smile on his face, although she thought he looked a little nervous about something. She quickly dismissed this thought, as her eyes fell upon a small bag that was in his hand. She started to wonder what was inside, but she knew she'd find out soon enough.

"Merry Christmas." He replied, leaning forward to give her a kiss. She stood aside and let him walk in, closing the door behind him. Jack and Irina greeted him, and then Sydney took him upstairs. She knew that her parents needed some time to themselves, and she herself wanted to spend a little time alone with her boyfriend on Christmas day.

"Ok, so you open you present first." She told him as she shut her bedroom door and handed him the wrapped present that was on her bed. He put her present on the bed and began to open his own.

He threw the wrapping paper down onto the bed, leaving him with a hockey shirt and a white envelope. Putting the envelope down for a minute, he examined the shirt, holding it out infront of him. It was a LA Kings shirt, only on the back wasn't the name of any player. Instead him name was stitched on, along with the number 11; the number he was in the team.

"Wow, Syd! This is amazing." He was genuinely touched by the present. He had dozens of hockey shirts, but none of them said 'Vaughn 11' on the back, and none of them were bought by her, which made this one that more special.

"You like it?" She asked, his facial expressions telling her everything that she needed to hear.

"I love it." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.

"Great!" She picked up the envelope and passed it to him. "Now open this."

He felt the envelope, trying to figure out what was inside. It was flat, as if there was a piece of paper or something inside. He could tell by her face that she was excited for him to open it, so that's what he did.

Inside he found one ticket to the next Kings game, and the seat was 2 rows from the front. "Oh my God. Sydney, I can't believe you bought me this."

She smiled. "Well I know how much you love the Kings, so I thought it would be the perfect gift." He stepped towards her, his arms wrapping around her as he hugged her.

"It is the perfect gift. Thank you." He spoke into her hair, placing a light kiss on the top of her head. "You have the other ticket, right?"

She smiled sweetly at him and shook her head. "Nope!"

"What?"

"I don't have the other ticket!" Her sweet smile didn't fool him, he knew that there was something she wasn't telling him.

"Oh God, your dad doesn't have it does he?" Although Jack Bristow had warmed considerably to him over the past two months, he knew that going to a hockey game with him would be hell.

Sydney shook her head again.

"Ok, so who has the other ticket?" Vaughn asked, feeling slightly confused.

"What other ticket?" She continued to play innocent with him, her arms still wrapped around his neck. "I never said anything about another ticket!" She found it hard not to laugh at him; he looked so cute when he was confused like he was now.

"So there's only one ticket?"

"Yes." The tone of her voice matched the innocent smile on her face, as she carried on acting like she didn't know what he was talking about.

Vaughn still didn't believe her, so he tried something else to make her talk. "Well I guess there's always the possibility that I'll be sat next to a hot blonde…" She hit his chest and for a minute he thought that his plan had worked. But then she started shaking her head, her smile back on her face.

"Yeah let me just tell you that the chances of that are pretty slim." She teased back, knowing that she was driving him insane by not telling him. He finally gave up, realising that there must only be one ticket.

"Time for you to open yours…" He sat down on the bed next to her, handing her the bag. She smiled excitedly as she took a small velvet box out of the bag. He smiled back at her as she opened up the box. Inside was a silver bracelet with a silver heart charm dangling from the centre.

"Michael, it's beautiful!" She turned the heart over, and ran her hand over the inscription.

_Forever Yours. _

_MV_

She continued to stare at the inscription as she held the bracelet in her hand. "Thank you." She turned to look at him, as he ran his hand down her cheek.

"I'm glad you like it." He placed a chaste kiss and pulled away, his hand still on her cheek. His heart was beating faster in his chest as he decided that he would do it. "There's actually something else." She looked at him, shocked that he'd bought her something else. "Well it's not a gift, it's just something that I've been wanting to tell you." She nodded, urging him to continue. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I'm in love with you." His eyes fell to the floor as the room went silent.

Sydney's eyes filled up as she thought about what he had said. It had come as a shock, it wasn't what she was expecting him to say. But now that he had said it, she liked the way it sounded; he loved her!

"Hey." She smiled, placing her hand under his chin, turning his face to look at her. "I…"

"Sydney?" Her mom knocked on the door before opening it. Sydney stopped speaking and quickly wiped away the tear that was making it's way down her cheek.

"Yeah?"

"The Sloanes are downstairs. They were wondering if you'd come down and see them."

Sydney cleared her throat as she stood up, hoping that the lump that had formed there would go away. "Sure." She smiled at her mom and then turned back to Vaughn. Irina glanced at them both, and wondered what she had interrupted. Sydney took one last look at Vaughn and then followed her mother out of the door.

Irina offered to give them a lift to the party, as they were already running late, and thankfully Irina hadn't had that much to drink. The car was silent, both Sydney and Vaughn sat staring out of the window each lost in their own thoughts. Sydney felt bad, that Vaughn had told her how he truly felt, and she didn't have the chance to say anything back. After she had finished speaking with Arvin and Emily, she went back up to her room to finish talking to him and to get ready. But the moment was gone. Vaughn was acting like he hadn't said anything, so Sydney didn't mention it. And now she was beginning to regret that.

They walked up the steps to the house, and Sydney slipped her hand in his, squeezing it slightly. He smiled at her as they rang the bell.

"Hey!" Paige hugged them both as she opened the door. "Merry Christmas!" They followed her inside the house, to see that the party had already started.

"I'm gonna go say hi to Eric." Vaughn excused himself and walked over to Weiss.

"What was all that about?" Paige asked, looking at Sydney who was just watching him walk away. From the minute they had walked in, Paige sensed that there was something wrong between them, she could tell by the way they were acting around each other.

Sydney sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's a long story." She shook her head, not wanting to talk about it. Paige wasn't usually the Halliwell she went to for relationship advice. "So, did Weiss like his present?"

"Yeah he did. He was a little confused about the hockey ticket though. He was convinced that there was another ticket!" They both laughed.

"Michael was asking a lot of questions about it. But I'm sure they'll eventually figure it out." Sydney looked around her at all the people who were there. She spotted an unexpected face and quickly looked away. "Danny's here?"

Paige looked down at the floor and sighed. "Yeah he turned up with a couple of the guys. I couldn't exactly tell him to go away!"

"It's ok. It's been a couple of months since we broke up, I'm sure he's gotten over everything that happened!" She reassured her, hoping that Danny wouldn't be causing any trouble.

"So she didn't say anything?" Eric asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"No, before she had chance to her mom came up and then she had to go and talk to some family friends." Vaughn sighed and glanced over to the other side of the room where Sydney was talking to some girls that he didn't recognise. They had been avoiding each other since they got there, things had gotten awkward between them, although that was the last thing either of them wanted.

"But just because she didn't say anything, that doesn't mean she doesn't feel the same way!" Weiss tried to reassure him, but it didn't look like it was working. Paige walked over and joined them, wrapping her arms around Eric's waist. She kissed his cheek as she moved closer into his embrace

"What are you guys talking about?" She looked at Weiss, then Vaughn, and then back at Weiss again. "Sydney?" Vaughn nodded.

"He told her he loved her." Weiss informed her, while Vaughn stared aimlessly at the floor.

"Oh my God! And what did she say?"

"Nothing!" Vaughn sighed. "That's the problem."

An hour later, Sydney and Vaughn were still ignoring each other. Sydney quickly finished her drink and went to find Piper. She needed to know what she should do; it was ridiculous how they were spending the night, each on opposite sides of the room.

She found Piper talking to Cole and Leo and quickly made her way over to them. "Piper, can I talk to you for a minute please?"

Piper could see that Sydney was upset about something. She wrapped her arm around her shoulder and led her towards the kitchen, which was now empty. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Michael told me he loved me today!"

Piper's mouth fell open as a smile took over her face. "Oh my God!" She hugged her friend and squealed. "This is so good. And what did you say?"

Sydney sat down at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. "I didn't! That's the problem." Piper took a seat next to her; wand waited for her to continue. "Before I could say anything, my mom walked in. And then I had to go talk to Emily and Arvin, and when I came back he was acting like nothing had happened, and so I didn't bring the conversation back up!" She sighed. _I have actually managed to make a mess of what was meant to be a perfect moment. _

"And if your mom hadn't have walked in, what would you have said?" Sydney bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "I don't know!" 

"Well, do you love him?" Sydney looked down at the table as she thought about her question. In the couple of months that they had been together, he had changed her life, and she couldn't imagine him not being a part of her life.

"Yeah I do!"

Piper smiled. "There's you answer." She stood up and pulled Sydney to her feet. "Now, go find him and tell him."

Sydney looked at her as if she were crazy. "What now?"

"Er...yeah!" She replied, as if it were the most obvious answer. "You only have like the perfect setting. It's Christmas day, one of the most romantic days of the year. Now go tell him you love him." She ushered her out of the kitchen.

"Thanks Piper."

"Go!"

Sydney walked into the living room ready to find Vaughn. Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and thinking that it was him she turned around with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey!" Her smile quickly faded when she saw who it was.

"Sydney! It's great to see you again." She could tell that he had had a lot to drink, she could smell it on him, and he was acting a little drunk.

"Look Danny, I really don't have time for any of your little games, so why don't you go and cause trouble with someone else ok?" She turned to leave but he grabbed her arm.

"Sydney, I need to talk to you. Please just give me a couple of minutes, and then I'll be gone. Please?" Suddenly his face turned serious, and she felt like she couldn't say no. _I can always wait a few minutes before I talk to Michael…_

"You have five minutes." She walked into the empty kitchen, Danny following closely behind her.

Piper walked over to Michael, who was laughing along with Eric and Paige. He looked happier than he did when he first arrived, which she was glad about. "Hey guys! Did you and Sydney talk?" Vaughn stopped laughing and shook his head.

"I haven't spoken to her since we got here why?"

Piper looked at him, confusion all over her face. "But, I just sent her out here to talk to you…"

"Well I've been here talking. She hasn't come anywhere near me."

"Well, will you please go and find her. She wants to talk to you about something." Everyone knew what she meant by 'something,' and Weiss looked at him, silently telling him to go and find her.

"Ok." He looked across the room, searching for any sign of her but he couldn't find her. "Where is she?" He asked, looking back at Piper. Piper turned and grabbed Leo who was dancing next to them.

"You seen Syd?" Leo stopped dancing and nodded.

"Yeah she walked into the kitchen with Danny a couple of minutes ago. Is everything ok?" No one answered his question, as all eyes fell on Michael.

"You…kitchen now!" She pushed him towards the kitchen, wanting him and Sydney to sort everything out.

Sydney leaned back against the kitchen counter, listening to Danny talk. "Look Syd, I know I made some mistakes when we were together. I pushed you away, I get that, I really do." Sydney rolled her eyes, knowing that in the morning he wouldn't remember a word of what he'd said to her. Her on the other hand, would remember the last couple of minutes, and regret letting him talk to her. "But I've changed. I'm different then I was two months ago, you've got to believe me. And if you just gave me another chance, you'd see that I'm not who I used to be." He stepped towards her, and placed his hands on her hips. Before she could say anything, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her, moving his hands up to her back.

Vaughn noticed how quiet it was as he walked into the kitchen, and he was began to doubt that she was in there. But when he stepped into the kitchen he saw her. Danny was kissing her, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Without saying anything he stormed out of the kitchen and into the hall, only to run into Piper, Eric and Paige.

"So?" Piper asked excitedly, wanting to hear how they'd sorted everything ok. Vaughn didn't say anything, he just stood there shaking his head, his eyes full of anger and unshed tears. Finally he couldn't take it anymore, and he stormed past them, slamming the front door behind him.

The three of them looked at each other, no one knowing what to say. They were just as confused as each other.

"Ok, what just happened here?" Piper asked, but neither of them answered her. They just didn't know.

"Danny!" Sydney angrily pushed him off her, and wiped her lips dry. "What do you think you're doing?" He looked down at his shoes, his cheeks reddening.

"I love you Sydney. I've never stopped loving you. Please come back to me." He pleaded with her, but she just wasn't listening.

"Danny, when are you going to realise that I've moved on. I have a boyfriend now, and I'm not about to lose him just because you can't get past this." She actually felt sorry for Danny, he was obviously had some problems in his life, but there was nothing she could do to help him. He was no longer her responsibility. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go be with the guy that I love." She walked out of the kitchen, ready to find Vaughn.

She walked into the living room, her eyes searching the crowds for him. She couldn't spot him, but she found Weiss and Piper, so she went over to them.

"Guys, have any of you seen Michael?" She asked, smiling at them. She was excited to tell him how she felt, she just hoped she wasn't too late.

"We should really be asking you that." Paige replied, still feeling confused about what happened with Vaughn. Sydney looked at her, her eyebrows raised.

"What the hell happened in there?" Piper asked, stepping forward. She wanted to get to the bottom of this; there was no way that somebody telling you they loved you, made you react the way Michael had.

Sydney shook her head. "Happen in where?" She had absolutely no idea what they were talking about; she'd obviously missed something.

"The kitchen. We sent Michael in there to talk to you, and then he stormed back out, and left. I've never seen him so angry and upset at the same time." Piper explained, wanting Sydney to fill them in on what they'd missed.

Sydney stomach turned. _The kitchen._ Her eyes filled up and she didn't even bother to stop the tears from falling. "Oh God…" She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes falling to the floor. The bracelet caught her attention, which just made the tears worse. _I've may just have lost the guy that I love…_

* * *

_runs off and hides hehe please don't kill me! lol a lil angst never hurt anyone:) _

_i'll update again over the weekend :) _


	37. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

"I've gotta go find him!" Sydney managed to say between the tears. She knew that he would be hurt by what he saw, but she needed to explain what really happened to him. She turned to leave, but Weiss pulled her back.

"Syd, what's going on?" Sydney stopped and turned back to face them. She wiped her cheeks dry and looked at her friends; concern on each of their faces.

"I…" She shook her head and looked down at the floor. "I've got to go." She didn't even bother to explain she just turned around and left. The three of them stood confused in the hallway for the second time that night.

Vaughn pulled his jacket tighter around himself, before replacing his hands back in his pockets. Ever since leaving the Halliwell's house, he had been walking down various streets, trying to clear his head. He didn't want to go home yet, he knew his mother would ask him why he was home before 10 p.m. on Christmas night, and he didn't know what he would say to her. As much as he tried, he couldn't get the image of Sydney and Danny together out of his head.

He angrily kicked a can that had been thrown on the floor, as he crossed the street. He didn't know where he was going exactly, he just kept on walking.

Sydney walked as fast as she could to Vaughn's house. She wasn't even sure that he would be there, but she didn't know where else to check. LA was a huge place; he could be anywhere in the city. She didn't even know where he liked to go when he was angry; she had never had to find out before.

She took a deep breath as she walked up his driveway. She didn't even know what she would say to him if he were there, but before she could give herself tome to think, she found herself knocking on the door.

Amelie Vaughn answered the door, a smile on her face. Sydney could tell that she had been drinking a little, she was acting merry, but she was no where near drunk. "Sydney!" She wrapped her arms around Sydney's neck and embraced her. "Happy Christmas."

"Yeah you too!" Sydney faked a smile. The Vaughn family had been so nice to her over the past couple of months, she just hoped that what Danny had done wouldn't jeopardise that. "Er…I was just wondering if Michael was home?" Amelie looked at her strangely and shook her head.

"No dear. He's over at the Halliwell's. I thought you were with him…" Michael had told her that him and Sydney were going to the party together, so now she was slightly confused as to why Sydney was looking for him.

"Yeah he was. We were." Sydney panicked, she didn't know what to say. Her eyes fell to the floor. "He erm…I…"

"You two had a fight?" Amelie asked, causing Sydney to look up. Her facial expression read 'how do you know?' giving Amelie the only answer that she needed. "Don't worry. I'm sure whatever it is, you guys will get past it. You're perfect together, nothing could ruin that." She gave Sydney another hug, and felt her sob against her shoulder. She held her tighter, reassuring her that everything would be ok. "Do you want to come inside and wait for him?" She offered.

Sydney forced a smile, but shook her head. She quickly dried her cheeks with her hands, trying her best to compose herself. "I'm just gonna go." She slowly started walking away from the house. She felt embarrassed for breaking down like that infront of Michael's mom, and she felt guilty for the sympathy that Amelie had given her. If she knew the truth was Sydney was there, she doubted that she would be receiving sympathy.

"Ok, when he comes home, I'll tell him you stopped by." Sydney nodded.

"Thank you Mrs Vaughn." She thanked the older woman, only Amelie would never know the true depth of Sydney's words. What she had said to Sydney gave her hope. _You're perfect together._ Sydney knew that she was right, now all she had to do was find Michael and fix this mess.

Sydney took her cell phone out of her purse and dialled Vaughn's number. She waited anxiously for him to pick up, while the sound of the dial tone filled her ears. Eventually his voice mail service picked up. Sydney sighed, she didn't want to do this over a voice message, but she knew that she had no choice; if she didn't leave a message, finding him would be even harder.

"Vaughn it's me. When you get this message will you call me please? We really need to talk." She paused before shutting her phone and placing it back in her purse.

She finally went home after looking for him for aver an hour. She managed to avoid her mom and dad, and went straight to bed, where she cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, Sydney still hadn't heard from Michael. She called his house and his dad answered.

"Hey Mr Vaughn, can I speak to Michael please?"

"I'm sorry Sydney, Michael isn't in. Him and his mom left early this morning to run some errands."

"Oh ok. Bye!" Sydney hung up the phone and lay back on her bed. She wasn't sure if he was telling her the truth, or whether Michael had told him to lie to her.

She quickly changed and walked to Weiss's. She couldn't face staying in her house, she knew her mother would ask her questions about last night, and she didn't feel like tell her what happened. But maybe Weiss could help her out.

"Hey Weiss! I hope you don't mind me stopping by, I just didn't know where else to go…" Weiss could hear the despair in her voice, and she wasn't looking her usual happy self.

"Don't worry about it. It's fine!" He smiled, stepping aside to let her in. "Paige is upstairs if you wanna go up." Sydney nodded and silently walked up the stairs. Paige was sitting cross-legged on Weiss's bed, a magazine laid open infront of her.

"Hi." Sydney sat at the bottom of the bed, facing Paige. Paige could tell that she'd been crying, her eyes were all red and puffy.

"Is everything ok?"

Sydney nodded as Weiss walked into the room and sat on the chair by his desk. The room fell silent, as Sydney stared at the floor and Weiss and Paige threw confused looks at each other.

"Have you spoken to Michael?" Sydney asked, breaking the silence.

"Not since he stormed out of Paige's last night." Sydney nodded, her eyes falling back to the floor. Paige and Weiss looked at each other, it was as though they were silently arguing about who would ask her the question that they both wanted to know the answer to. Finally Paige backed down.

"Syd, what happened last night?"

And there it was; the question that Sydney had been trying to avoid. She felt that if she were to actually say it out loud, it would make this whole nightmare more real. But if they were ever gonna help her, she would have to tell them.

"I was going to find Vaughn, so I could tell him I loved him, but Danny stopped me before I could even get to Michael. He said that he wanted to talk to me, and at the time I didn't think there was any harm in it. So we went into the kitchen to talk, and he starts telling me about how he'd changed and needed another chance. And the next minute he's kissing me, and I was too shocked to do anything. But then I guess Michael walked in and saw us, and then stormed back out." Sydney wiped a tear from her cheek. Paige moved to sit next to her, her arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"Have you not spoke to him since?"

"No, he won't take any of my calls. I really need to talk to him, but I can't do that if he won't even see me, you know."

"Look, why don't you two go shopping, and I'll get Vaughn to come over, and I'll talk to him." Weiss walked towards Sydney. "Ok?"

Sydney nodded and her and Paige stood up. "Shall we go shopping sweetie?" Paige asked, looping her arm through Sydney's.

Sydney gave her a weak smile. "Sure." They walked towards the door, but Sydney stopped and turned back to face Eric. "Thank you."

"It's ok. I wouldn't be Vaughn's friend, if I didn't help him sort out his problems!" Weiss joked. "Now you girls go have fun, and don't forget to bring me something nice back." Paige smiled and kissed Weiss good-bye and then her and Sydney left.

"So where shall we go first? I was thinking maybe we could go and check out the sale at Ralph Lauren, I hear they've got so many nice tops…"

"Actually Paige, do you mind if we go somewhere first? There's just something that I've gotta do."

Sydney pounded on the door, not caring who she woke up. Paige had tried to talk her out of coming here, but she insisted that she needed to, so Paige just stood back and let her get on with it.

A couple of minutes later, Danny answered the door, looking rather hung over. "Sydney? Paige? What are you guys doing here?"

Sydney didn't bother answering him, she just barged right past him and into the house, which thankfully was empty. Paige followed her inside the house.

Danny stepped towards Sydney. "What's wrong?" Without saying anything, she slapped him, his hand immediately moving to cover his face. "What was that for?"

"Well you were obviously too drunk to remember!" Sydney folded her arms infront of her chest. Suddenly the sad, broken Sydney was gone, and was replaced with a much angrier version of her. Paige tried her best not to laugh. Danny had deserved that slap for so long, and now he'd finally gotten it.

"Remember what?" He asked, rubbing the pain away from his cheek.

"You kissed me last night Danny. And that I may have been able to deal with, but the fact that my boyfriend, the guy I love saw you, kinda makes me a little angry!" She yelled at him.

"I kissed you?"

"Don't act innocent with me Danny. I'm not falling for another one of your acts again." She walked towards the door. "Oh and just so we're clear….stay the hell out of my life!"


	38. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Vaughn flopped down onto Weiss's couch. Weiss had called him twenty minutes earlier and told him to come over to watch a hockey game that was on the TV. Weiss's parents were visiting relatives on the other side of town, so the house was silent apart from the noise coming from the TV. Vaughn hadn't spoken much since he'd arrived and Weiss didn't want to push him to start talking.

Weiss walked into the kitchen and took two sodas out of the fridge, and handed one to Vaughn. He mumbled his thanks, and then went back to staring at the TV, making it seem as though he was really paying attention to the game.

"You wanna talk about it?" Weiss asked, breaking the silence.

Vaughn shrugged. "Talk about what?" He took a sip of his soda, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Don't play dumb with me Vaughn." Michael shut his eyes, his head falling down to his chest. "You wanna talk about what happened last night? About why for the past fifteen minutes you've been staring so hard at my TV, as if you're waiting for it to fix everything?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He replied bluntly, hoping to put an end to the conversation.

"You know that bottling it all up is not gonna help anyone. Especially not you and Sydney." Vaughn grimaced at the sound of her name, causing Weiss to roll his eyes.

"She cheated on me. There's nothing more to say." Vaughn stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Weiss quickly got up and ran after him, to find him sitting at the kitchen table, spinning the can of soda around in his hands. "Sydney did not cheat on you, Vaughn."

"Oh really? So what do you call her sticking her tongue down her ex-boyfriend's throat?" He yelled at Weiss, although he knew Weiss has done nothing wrong; other than try to be his friend. He immediately felt guilty for his outburst.

"It was not like that Vaughn." Weiss replied just as harshly as Vaughn had seconds before. "And if you'd give her a chance to talk to you, you'd find that out for yourself." The kitchen fell silent. Vaughn sighed as he stood up and walked towards the kitchen door.

"Can we just watch the rest of the game?"

Weiss followed him back into the living room, feeling like there was nothing more he could say to him.

"What shop do you want to go to?"

"Huh?" Sydney looked over at Paige, and it was clear that she hadn't heard what she'd said.

"Syd, are you ok?"

Sydney shook her head and started to walk towards one of the benches that was on the side of the road. Paige followed her, and took a seat. "I know you're trying to cheer me up Paige, but I just can't stop thinking about what happened."

Paige put her arm around her and gave her a hug. "It's ok! I knew there was a chance that retail therapy wasn't quite gonna work here!" She joked, and Sydney managed to laugh a little.

"Do you think he's at Eric's now?"

"Probably! But Eric will talk to him."

Sydney was silent for a minute then she stood up quickly. "We have to go back to Weiss's."

Paige looked up at her, shock all over her face. "What?"

"I'm sorry Paige, I've gotta talk to him myself." She turned and ran down the street. Paige watched her go, and then followed her, wanting to stop her from doing something stupid.

Weiss and Vaughn went back to watching the game. They hadn't talked much, apart from making the occasional comment about one of the goals that were scored. The sound of the doorbell ringing, broke yet another silence that had fallen over the two of them.

"I'll get it." Weiss stood up and walked out of the room, glad for the distraction.

He opened the door to find Sydney and Paige standing on the doorstep. Paige had eventually managed to catch up with Sydney, but she was unable to stop her from coming to Eric's.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"I'm sorry Weiss, I just really have to talk to him…" Weiss looked at Sydney, before his gaze focused on Paige. She shifted her head sideways, indicating that they should leave the house and give them some time to talk.

"We'll go for a walk," Weiss told Sydney as he stepped out of the house. "Just make sure nothing gets broken, ok?" He asked jokingly, although he meant every word.

"Ok. Thanks you guys." She walked past them and into Weiss's house, closing the door behind her. She could hear cheers from the living room, so she guessed that would be were she would find him. She took a deep breath as she walked into the living room.

"Who was at the do…" Vaughn turned around and stopped speaking when he saw Sydney standing in the doorway. He stared at her for a couple of seconds and then turned back around to face the TV.

"Michael…" She stepped further into the room.

"What are you doing here?" He asked harshly, his eyes not moving from the TV screen.

"I came to see you. We need to talk."

He looked at her again; his usual warm, loving eyes, were no longer there. "I don't think we have that much to say to each other."

"You might not, but I have." She sat down next to him on the couch, and was relieved that he remained sitting there, as she thought he would have moved away from her. "I know what you think you saw. But it really wasn't what you think…"

"Really?" He replied sarcastically, turning his head to look away from her.

She reached over and turned his head to face her. He immediately moved his face away from her but remained looking at her. "I was coming to tell you something, when Danny stopped me. He was really drunk and said he wanted to talk…so we did! We talked. But then he kissed me, and I didn't do anything. I was too shocked and then when I pushed him off me, it was too late. You'd already seen us." Sydney looked down at her hands that were resting on her lap. She was waiting for him to say something; anything would be better then the silence they were now sitting in.

Vaughn ran a hand through his hair. "What were you coming to tell me?" He asked, his voice emotionless.

"I was coming to tell you that I love you." Sydney's eyes filled up with tears. She couldn't believe that she had just confessed her feelings for him in the middle of a fight.

Vaughn looked at her, and saw the tears in her eyes. He wanted so much just to wipe away her tears and hold her in his arms again; but he couldn't. He was still hurt about her and Danny.

Sydney waited for some kind of response from him, but he didn't say anything. "You don't believe me, do you?"

Vaughn closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the couch. "I don't know."

"Why would I want Danny, when I have you?" She reached over and placed her hand over his, but he withdrew his hand, folding his arms infront of him. Sydney hated him being so cold towards her, but she didn't know what else she could do to change that.

"I know you're saying that you didn't do anything, but I don't know if I can forget what happened." The minute he'd finished talking, he immediately regretted what he had said. But it was too late to take it back now.

A tear ran down her cheek, as she realised that she wasn't going to get anywhere with this. "If you really think that I would cheat on you with Danny of all people, then you obviously don't know me at all." She stood up and walked out of the living room and towards the front door. She knew that she was minutes away from breaking down into tears, and she didn't want him to say that.

She opened the door, but something pulled on her arm. She turned around and found herself in Vaughn's arms, his hands resting on her back bringing her closer towards him. She was taken by surprise that he was holding her in his arms, but she stepped closer towards him, her hands resting on his chest. Without saying anything, Vaughn lowered his lips towards hers.


	39. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Sydney threw back the covers as her cell phone started ringing. She hated early morning phone calls; but then again she just hated anything that happened at an early hour.

"Hello?" She asked sleepily.

"Morning beautiful." Sydney smiled as Vaughn's voice filled her ears. Suddenly being awoken at an early hour wasn't too bad.

"Why are you awake so early?" Lying back down on the bed, she pulled the covers around herself, her left arm tucking underneath the pillow.

Vaughn laughed. "Sydney, you do realise that it's almost 11, right?"

"Yeah…that's early!" She joked, realising that she would have to get up sooner or later.

"Well I was just disturbing your beauty sleep, to see if you wanted me to come and help you get things ready for your party tonight?"

Sydney's smile grew. Ever since the misunderstanding with Danny, her and Vaughn had grown closer. They were spending more time together, and their relationship seemed to be much stronger than it had been before. They had both had a taste of what life would be like if they lost each other, and that was something that they both didn't want.

"Yeah that would be great." They talked for a while longer, before finally hanging up the phone. Sydney quickly showered and changed ready for when he arrived. A couple of minutes after Sydney had got dressed, her mother knocked on her bedroom door.

"Sydney? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." Sydney replied, as Irina walked into the room. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that your father's taking me out for the day. So you'll have the house to yourself for the party…"

Sydney smiled at her mother, although she knew that that wasn't all she had to say. "Sydney, I want you to remember what you promised me. You'll look after the house, and not let any drunken idiots ruin anything." Sydney nodded reassuringly. "I'm trusting you Sydney, don't let me down."

"I won't. I promise." Irina smiled as she hugged her daughter.

"I should be back at about 1:30. Just make sure everyone's left by then!"

Two hours later, Jack came by the house to pick Irina up. She gave Sydney one last warning before leaving with Jack. A couple of minutes later Vaughn arrived, ready to help Sydney set up for the party. He knew that the party wasn't meant to start for another couple of hours, but he thought that once they had finished they could just hang out.

"Ok, so I figured we could just blow up some balloons, put up some decorations…things like that!" Sydney suggested as Vaughn followed her into the kitchen. She stopped at the kitchen table, where she'd laid out all the decorations that she could find lying around the house.

"Sounds good." He replied, standing behind her, with his arms wrapped firmly around her waist. He placed light feather kisses along her neck, and then rested his head on her shoulder. She leaned back against his chest, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms again.

They stayed standing like that for a few minutes, before Sydney walked away, the packet of balloons in one hand, and Vaughn's hand in the other. They stopped in the living room and she gave him half of the balloons, telling him to blow them up. Rolling his eyes, he sat down on the couch and started blowing them up. After a couple of minutes, he handed Sydney a couple of balloons that she could pin up, while he did the rest.

She pinned them all up, except for one. She quietly crept into the living room, and stood behind where Vaughn was sat. Quietly, she rubbed the balloon on top of his head, causing his hair to stick up on end.

"Looking good, spiky!" She teased, laughing at his new hairstyle. Vaughn turned around to look at her, shock all over his face.

"I can't believe you just did that." He tried his best to smooth down his hair, but it was still static.

"I think it looks good on you…" She smiled innocently slowly stepping away from the couch as Vaughn stood up. He walked towards her, a mischievous look on his face.

"You are so gonna pay for that!"

"Oh, what are you gonna do? Mess up my hair?" She teased, slowly backing into the kitchen, Vaughn only a couple of steps infront of her.

He thought for a minute and then shook his head. "I could, but it wouldn't really do anything. You'd still look just as beautiful." Sydney blushed at his comment, but continued to step away from him.

"I think your hair looks good!"

"Do you know how long it takes me to style my hair of a morning?" Vaughn joked, causing Sydney to laugh harder.

"Aww, have I spoilt your pretty boy image?" Sydney asked, knowing that she was getting herself deeper into trouble.

"Yes." He ran towards her, and tried to get her in his arms, but she managed to dodge him and run out of the kitchen. She playfully screamed as she ran into the living room, not knowing where she should run. He stood in the doorway, both of them realising that she was trapped. Sydney smiled sweetly at him, as she looked around the room for somewhere she could run. She was stood behind the couch, and knew that her best bet would be to get to the other side of the settee. He noticed her eyes drift towards the couch and knew what she was about to do.

She laughed as she plunged over the back of the couch, and ended up laying flat on it. Before she could roll back off it, Vaughn climbed over the couch, so that he was no lying directly above her. Sydney laughed, realising that she was trapped. She looked up at Vaughn, waiting to see what his next move would be. He placed his hands either side of the couch, preventing her from leaving his embrace.

"So Miss Bristow, it looks like you have no where else to run. Are you going to apologise now?"

Sydney smiled and shook her head. "I was going to, but suddenly the consequences don't seem that bad." She whispered as she brought her lips up to his. Her hands rested on his back, bringing him closer to her.

"I love you." She told him as they broke apart. Vaughn looked quite shocked by her confession, he hadn't been expecting her to say that. "I meant to tell you on Christmas Day…and I've been meaning to tell you ever since." She smiled at him, her hand coming up to caress his cheek.

"I love you too."

A couple of hours later, everybody had arrived and the party had started. There were only about 35 people there; Sydney had decided to keep it minimal, so that nothing bad happened.

Sydney and Vaughn spent most of the night by each other's side, except when Weiss came to steal Sydney away to dance, while Paige was talking with her sisters. Sydney couldn't help but laugh at Weiss's unique dancing style, although it wasn't just her attention that he caught. A few other people around the room watched him, as he did the famous 'Weiss dance' in the middle of Sydney's living room. However, Vaughn paid no attention to his friend's antics on the dance floor, his whole focus remained on Sydney.

As everyone began to count down the seconds to midnight, Sydney went to find Vaughn so that she could kiss him at midnight. Everyone else couple off as the countdown got nearer.

"5…4…3…2…1!"

The room filled with cheers as everyone welcomed in the New Year. Vaughn gave Sydney a kiss, which was followed by a hug. "Happy New Year Syd," he whispered in her ear. He had a feeling that this year was going to go better than the last; after all what else could go wrong?

By one o'clock, Sydney managed to get everyone out of the house, leaving her 30 minutes to clean up the house before her mother arrived; although the house was in a perfectly good condition. Sydney told all her friends that they could go, as Vaughn offered to help her tidy.

After they were finished, Vaughn grabbed his jacket and walked towards the door. "I best get going." He smiled at her, stepping forward to wrap his arms around her waist. Sydney nodded sadly, but managed to smile.

"Ok." They kissed for of seconds before Vaughn moved out of her embrace and opened the front door.

Without thinking, Sydney started talking again. "Unless…" She stopped as he turned back around, wondering if she should continue her sentence. His eyes searched her face, waiting for her to finish. "You want to stay over…" She suggested, her eyes falling shyly to the floor. Vaughn wasn't sure if he'd heard her correctly.

"Like on the couch?"

Sydney hesitated before answering. "No…" Sydney could feel her cheeks reddening; she wasn't sure if she should have asked him that. "I don't mean that something's gonna happen," she explained, but found herself beginning to rabble. "But I thought you might just have liked to stay here tonight, but it's ok." She smiled weakly at him.

Vaughn shut the door and walked towards her, taking her hand in his. "Come on." She smiled as she led him upstairs.

Sydney went into the bathroom and removed her make-up and let down her hair. She was suddenly nervous about the fact that Michael Vaughn was sitting in her bedroom waiting for her. She took a deep breath, and splashed cold water on her face before stepping back into the bathroom. She was now dressed in a blue tank top and pyjama pants, but Vaughn couldn't help but thing that she was the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen.

She had given him an old pair of jogging pants, that her cousin Josh had left when he last visited a couple of months before, and a college T-shirt that was way too big on her, but it seemed to fit him perfectly. She smiled at him as she walked around the room, and pulled back the bed covers and climbed into the bed. He did the same thing, and she could tell by his face that he was just as nervous as she was; although they had nothing to be nervous about.

Switching off her bedside lamp, she lay down beside him in the bed; her head lightly resting on his chest, while his arms were wrapped around her. Suddenly all the nerves that they had both been feeling went away; as lying in each other's arms now felt like the most natural thing.


	40. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Jack dropped Irina at home later that night. She kissed him goodbye and walked into the house, expecting to find it a state. But she got a huge shock when she walked through the door. The house was spotless, almost as though there hadn't been a large group of teenagers partying the night away. Irina smiled to herself, knowing that Sydney had lived up to her part of the deal, proving that Irina could trust her.

She walked up the stairs and saw that Sydney's light was off, so she decided that she would talk to her in the morning.

The next morning, Irina woke up with a smile on her face. Everything was going right in her life. Her love life was now back on track and her relationship with Sydney was better then ever. After showering and dressing, she started to put her make-up on when the doorbell rang. She ran down the stairs to find Jack standing on her doorstep, with a white food bag in his hand.

"Good morning." He greeted her with a smile. "I bought breakfast!" He held the bag up and she stepped aside, allowing him to enter the house. He planted a kiss on her cheek as he walked into the kitchen, Irina following him closely behind.

"You didn't have to do all this!" Irina told him, as he removed the bagels out of the bag.

He laughed and threw the empty bag in the bin. "It was no trouble. I just picked these up on my way over!" He shrugged and smiled at her. "Is Sydney awake yet?"

"Erm…I'm not sure. I'll just go check!" She took a bite of her bagel and then walked up the stairs to Sydney's room.

Without knocking, she entered Sydney's room and nearly choked on what she was eating. Sydney and Michael were lying in each other's arms, fast asleep. Irina stood shocked in the doorway, convinced that she was just imagining what she was seeing. But after a couple of seconds they were still lying there, so she charged into the room and shook Sydney's foot violently, waking her up.

"Sydney! Get up now!" She told her harshly, watching as they both sat up, looking slightly disorientated.

"Mom? What are you doing?" Sydney asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Vaughn sat silently on the bed, his face a bright shade of red. _Please don't let Jack be downstairs._

Sydney looked at her mother and noticed the anger that was visible in her eyes. She glanced at Michael and threw him a reassuring look, and then tried to speak to her mom, but the minute she opened her mouth her mother cut her off.

"Save it Sydney. Both of you, downstairs now." She pointed to the doorway and folded her arms across her chest. Sighing, Sydney stood up and put her dressing gown around her pyjamas and left her room, closely followed by Michael.

Jack was still in the kitchen when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He walked out into the hall to see an angry looking Irina talking to an embarrassed Sydney and Michael. _Michael?_

Sydney noticed her dad walking towards them and sighed. She looked at him, waiting for him to start yelling, but to her surprise he smiled.

"Morning Michael. I didn't hear you knock…"

"He didn't." Irina replied angrily, her eyes glaring at her daughter's boyfriend.

"Oh, you have a key?" Sydney would have laughed if she weren't in so much trouble.

"No he doesn't have a key." Sydney replied quietly.

"Your daughter decided to let him spend the night." Irina looked at Jack. "In her bed!"

Sydney watched as Jack's face reddened and his jaw clenched. She felt Michael tense up beside her as her father's gaze focused on him. She hadn't seen her father this angry since the time she threw a tennis ball through the living room window.

"What do you have to say for yourself Sydney?"

Sydney stared blankly at her father. "Nothing." She shrugged. She didn't see why they were making such a big deal about it when all they did was sleep in the same bed.

_Oh no, he's gonna yell._ Vaughn watched the expression on Jack's face change, and although it didn't seem physically possible, he got even angrier.

"Michael please leave. We need to have a word with our daughter." Irina told him sternly, opening up the front door before he even had a chance to reply. Without saying anything he left the house, the door slamming shut behind him.

Sydney remained in the hallway, her parents eyes still fixed on her. She was waiting for all the shouting to start and was glad that Vaughn was now out of the house, so he didn't have to hear any of it.

"Sydney, what did you think you were doing?" Her mother asked. Sydney could hear the disappointment in her voice, although she wasn't entirely sure what Irina was disappointed about.

"It was late when the party ended! I thought it would make sense if he just spent the night here!" She tried to reason with them, but it was useless; they just didn't want to listen.

"In your bed?" Jack shouted.

Sydney just rolled her eyes and remained silent. She didn't know what else she could say to them to make them see that it wasn't a big deal.

"Did you sleep with him?" Irina asked, dreading the answer.

Sydney was sick of playing games. "Yes! You saw us yourself mom, we were fast asleep!" She replied cockily, regretting it the minute she's said it.

"That is not what I meant Sydney and you know it." Irina scolded her. "And you can loose the attitude right now." Sydney stared at the floor, wondering how much longer this was going to go on for. "Did you have sex with him?"

Sydney raised her eyes and looked at her mother. "What!" She couldn't believe that she was hearing these words coming out of her mother's mouth and especially with her father standing right next to them. Jack looked as if he were actually going to punch something; probably Vaughn if he had the chance.

"You know what, that has nothing to do with you!" Sydney shouted back before running up the stairs to get changed, leaving a shocked Jack and Irina in the hallway.

She quickly threw on some clothes and stormed out of the house, not bothering to say another word to her parents. She couldn't believe her mother's reaction and she dreaded to think what her father would say when he next saw her. She decided to walk to the Halliwell's; she was too embarrassed to go and see Michael and she knew that she definitely didn't want to go home.

"I need to talk to you!" Vaughn knocked on Eric's bedroom door. Weiss's mom had let Vaughn in and told him that Weiss was in his room, getting ready for a date with Paige.

"Come in." Vaughn walked into the room to see Weiss lying on the floor with his head stuck under the bed.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

Weiss was silent for a couple of minutes while he rummaged under the bed. "Just finding my shoe!" He held the shoe up and smiled shyly at Vaughn. "So what's up."

"I spent the night at Sydney's." Vaughn blurted out, watching as Weiss's shy expression was replaced with a smirk

"Oh…" He raised his eyebrows suggestively at Vaughn who launched the nearest pillow at his head.

"Nothing happened, well except for her mom catching up this morning."

Weiss had to hold in his laughter. He could just imagine Irina Derevko's face when she caught Vaughn lying next to her daughter. "What did she say?"

"She yelled at us to get up and go downstairs!"

Weiss sighed. "That doesn't seem to bad…"

"Jack was downstairs." Vaughn told him, his voice barely above a whisper.

This time Weiss couldn't help but laugh. There were times when Vaughn's life was like something out of a soap opera, and this was definitely one of those times. "Why are you still alive if Jack was there?" Weiss questioned.

"Irina made me leave before he had a chance. I don't know what they said to Syd though." He hadn't wanted to leave her in the house, but he had no other choice. He knew that not leaving the house would have been a pretty stupid move, considering the amount of trouble that they were in.

"So what are you gonna do?"

"Avoid Sydney's parents and her house for like the next year and a half!" Vaughn replied jokingly, although he meant every word.

Sydney knocked on the front door and waited anxiously for someone to answer. A couple of seconds later, Piper came to the door.

"Hey!" She was shocked to see Sydney standing on her doorstep this early in the morning. But the look on her friend's face told her that something was wrong. "Syd what's up?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go!" Sydney apologised for just turning up unannounced.

"It's ok. Come in." Sydney followed Piper into the living room and took a seat on the couch. Phoebe and Paige had been watching the TV but they turned it off the minute Sydney sat down.

"Honey what's wrong?" Piper sat beside her on the couch, her arm around her shoulder.

"Last night after the party, I asked Michael to stay over. And then this morning my mom walked into my room and saw us in the bed together and started shouting."

Phoebe looked at her understandingly. "Because he stayed over?"

Sydney shook her head and sighed. "No, because she thinks I slept with him." Sydney watched the expressions on each of their faces change. "It wouldn't have been that bad if my dad hadn't of been there!" She rolled her eyes. "You should have seen his face when she asked me if I'd had sex with him."

"She actually asked you that infront of your father?" Paige asked, totally amazed.

"Yes!" Sydney cringed again, her head resting in her hands. Sydney kept reliving the past hour over and over in her head, and each time it just got more embarrassing. Her and her father had always been close, but that was one thing that she didn't ever want him to know about.

"Well what did you say to her?"

"I told her it was none of her business, which technically it isn't."

The room fell silent for a couple of minutes before Piper spoke again. "Did anything happen last night?"

Sydney shook her head and looked at her. "No it didn't. That's what makes me even angrier about my mom's reaction. It wasn't like we were doing or have done anything wrong."

"Wait, you can Michael haven't…you know…" Paige asked and Sydney slowly shook her head. "But you and Danny have, right?"

Sydney shook her head again and Paige and Phoebe stared back at her in shock, but Piper remained silent, as she already knew what Sydney was going to say. "He tried it on, believe me. But I just never wanted to with him, you know!" She shrugged as she thought back to all the times that Danny had tried something with her. "It just didn't feel right with him, and I wanted to wait for the right guy."

"That guy being Michael…." Piper suggested and Sydney nodded.

"Yeah but judging by what happened this morning, I'd say it's gonna be a long time

before we head down that road." She sighed at the mess that had become her life. Yesterday everything in her life was perfect; today she just wanted to run as far away from her own life as possible.


	41. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Irina sat down at the kitchen table, regretting what had just happened. She knew that she hadn't handled the situation in the best possible way, but there was nothing she could do about that now. Jack stood by the kitchen sink, his eyes staring blankly out into the garden.

"I can't believe that just happened." Irina sighed and rested her head in her hands. Jack turned around to face her, the same frustrated expression on his face.

"I know. It didn't exactly go well."

"Well that's an understatement," she replied sarcastically, actually managing to laugh a little at the situation. That morning when she woke up, everything was perfect and now she had a daughter who probably hated her and she dreaded to think what Michael thought about the way she over reacted. "What are we going to do?"

Jack shrugged and folded his arms across his chest. "I guess we'll just have to wait until she comes home. And then we can sit down and talk to her."

An hour after she'd got there, Sydney left the Halliwell's and decided that she would go and talk to Michael. She hadn't been looking forward to going to see him; she was embarrassed about what had happened that morning, she could only imagine what he was feeling.

She paused on his doorstep for a couple of minutes, while she debated about whether or not she should actually knock. Finally making up her mind, she was about to knock on the door when it opened and Vaughn's father appeared in the doorway, a briefcase in his hand.

"Hello Sydney." He greeted her with a smile.

"Hi, I'm here to see Michael..." She smiled back at him and he moved out of the doorway allowing her to walk into the house. She thanked him and watched as he got into his car and drove away. Taking a deep breath she walked into the house and closed the door behind her. The house appeared to be empty, but she could hear voices coming from the kitchen indicating that everyone was in there.

As soon as she appeared in the doorway, Amelie spotted her and smiled. "Sydney, hey!" Upon hearing her name, Vaughn turned around and looked at her, a small smile on his face.

"Can we talk?" She asked quietly, nodding her head towards the door. Vaughn excused them and led Sydney upstairs to his room, leaving his mother to continue with her cooking in the kitchen.

Vaughn closed his door as Sydney walked over and sat on his bed. She stared down at the floor before raising her eyes to make eye contact with him.

"I am so sorry about what happened this morning." She began to apologize, running her hands through her hair and sighed. "I can't believe my mom overreacted like that. There was just no need." She sighed and stared down at the floor. Vaughn moved over to the bed and sat beside her, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders.

"What happened when I left?"

"Well my mother thought it would be a good idea to ask if we slept together, in front of my father!"

Michael looked at her in shock. It was one thing that Jack had caught him staying over, but worse now that he thought something had happened between them.

"Ok, now I am definitely staying away from your house. I do not want to know what your father will do when he sees me." Sydney playfully hit his leg, and actually managed to smile, despite everything that had just happened. Vaughn was silent for a minute but then something occurred to him.

"Oh God…"

"What?" Sydney panicked by his sudden outburst.

"I'm in his class at school. He is so going to kill me."

"Vaughn relax. He is not going to hurt you… well not much anyways." She laughed as his face went even paler. He realised that she was just teasing him and rolled his eyes at her.

"Do you mind if I just hang out here for a little while? I don't feel like going back home yet."

Vaughn nodded and kissed her lightly on her head. "Sure. You wanna watch a movie?"

Sydney's smile grew as she jumped up off the bed and walked over to the TV. Vaughn knew what she was going to pick and fell back onto the bed, regretting ever having asked her the question.

Sydney picked up one of her favourite films and put it in the DVD player. She picked up the remote and went to sit next to Vaughn, her smile never leaving her face. She wrapped her arm around Vaughn's waist and cuddled into him as she pressed the play button.

"Syd, do we really have to watch this?"

"Yes we do! It's a great film, and you know you like it really."

"But we've watched The Notebook like 5 times already, and you cry more and more each time!" He soothingly ran his hands up and down her arm, but she wasn't really paying much attention to him. The film had started and her eyes were glued to the screen.

"Ssh, it's started." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and then went back to watching the film.

Later that night, Sydney reluctantly returned home. She walked into the house and was about to go up to her room when her mom stopped her. She sighed and turned around to face Irina.

"Sydney, we need to talk." She stated simply.

"You want me to call dad? You couldn't possibly embarrass me without him being her!" Sydney replied sarcastically. Irina sighed.

"I was hoping that we could talk about this like adults…"

"Oh, you mean like you did this morning?"

Irina hated that they were fighting. They hardly ever fought and Irina was always happy about that. She liked the relationship that she had with her daughter, and she just hoped that what had happened that morning wouldn't ruin that.

"Sydney, please!" Sydney could hear the desperation in her mother's voice and slowly nodded her head, and they both walked into the living room.

They took a seat on opposite ends of the couch and Sydney waited for Irina to start talking.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted this morning. I admit that I may have overreacted a little bit…"

"A little bit!" Sydney laughed and immediately regretted it. She knew that her mother was trying to make an effort to fix things between them; the least she could do was to do the same.

Irina paused and looked at her daughter. They sat in silence again for a couple of seconds and then Irina continued. "I was just shocked that's all. I didn't know that Michael was staying over, and when I saw the two of you lying in your bed, I just jumped to conclusions."

"Yeah I know you did! You didn't even give me a chance to explain, you just assumed what you wanted to." Irina could tell that her daughter was hurt by what she had thought, and she didn't blame her. Sydney had every right to be upset with her right now, but hopefully that would change.

"You're right. I did. But I'm not the only one in the wrong here Syd." Sydney's mouth fell open as her mother stared back at her.

"What is it I've done wrong exactly? Asking my boyfriend to stay over?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing; just when she thought that they had a chance of putting this behind them, her mom had to go and say something else.

"You didn't even tell me he was staying over…."

"You weren't here!" Sydney yelled and stood up, walking over to the window. She took a few deep breaths and turned back to face her mother. "It was a last minute decision. It was late, it made sense for him to stay here." Irina's facial feature's softened slightly as her daughter tried to reason with her.

"Obviously, you're too old for me to control your life Sydney, but all I'm asking is that you involve me a bit more. If Michael's going to be staying here, I want to know…"

Sydney sighed and sat beside her mother once again. "Ok." She replied. They smiled at each other, as the atmosphere between them became lighter.

"So we're ok?" Irina asked as she hugged Sydney.

"Yeah, we are. But I doubt Vaughn's going to be around her anytime soon. He's scared of dad!" Sydney rolled her eyes and Irina couldn't help but laugh. She found it funny how people were afraid of him. She was one of the few people who he didn't scare, but that could be due to the fact that she could be scarier than him when she wanted to be.

"Don't worry about your father sweetheart. I'll make sure that he doesn't do anything to Michael."


	42. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

The following week, school started again much to Vaughn's dismay. He had managed to avoid both Jack and Irina, even though Sydney kept telling him that the incident had been forgotten about. Vaughn was unconvinced, and they had to hang out at his house so that he wouldn't run into either of her parents.

On the first morning of school, he slowly walked down the corridor towards the lesson that he had been dreading. Weiss was at his side, idly chatting away but Vaughn wasn't paying any attention. All he could concentrate on was the nauseous feeling in his stomach as he thought ahead to what was going to happen.

Thankfully the teacher wasn't in the room when they arrived, so he was able to slip into his seat and pray that he could become invisible; at least for the next hour and a half. But before he could finish his thought, the sound of the door distracted him, causing him to look up at Jack Bristow.

Jack stared at him as he walked to his desk. The conversation that he had with Irina was running through his head and he distinctively remember her telling him to act no differently towards his daughter's boyfriend. She wanted them to both get along the way they had been before any of this started, and she made it very clear that she would make Jack's life hell if he didn't listen to her._ But Irina isn't here…what she doesn't see wont hurt her…_

"Good morning." Jack addressed the class, receiving a mumble of words in return. He rolled his eyes at the lack of energy that the students had on the first day back and then continued with the lesson. "Today, we're going to be continuing with what we did before the holidays…" He took a book out of his back and sat on the edge of his desk, facing the class. 

Vaughn's heart was beating faster in his chest as he stared down at the table. In his mind, he was telling himself that if he didn't make eye contact with Jack then he would be safe. But Jack wasn't sharing the same thought.

"Mr Vaughn, perhaps you could recap for us?"

He sighed as he slowly looked up. _This is going to be a long lesson…_

"Dude, what was with him picking on you all lesson?" Weiss whispered, as they packed up their things. The class was starting to empty out while Jack was busy at the front of the room discussing the latest assignment with one of the guys in the class.

Vaughn sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I guess he still thinks something happened between me and Sydney."

"Well let's just hope for your sake that he doesn't hold grudges. Because you've got at least another sixth months of taking this subject. You're life is gonna be hell if he keeps this up!" Weiss informed him as they walked to the front of the class only to be stopped by Irina in the doorway.

She smiled politely at them both, before focussing her attention back onto Vaughn. "Michael, could you stay behind for a minute please?" Weiss quickly left the room, feeling thankful that he wasn't in Vaughn's shoes round about now.

Jack heard Irina's voice and looked up to see that she was standing in his classroom with Michael Vaughn. He quickly dismissed the student that he was talking to, leaving the three of them alone in the room together. Vaughn started to feel trapped, and he was certain that this was going to be the way that he would die. At this moment in time, he wasn't sure who he feared the most; Irina or Jack.

Irina moved closer into the room and motioned for Vaughn to follow her. She looked sternly at Jack and folded her arms across her chest.

"How was the lesson?" She asked, her eyes moving between them. Vaughn remained silent and stared down at the floor while Jack watched Irina intently, wondering what she was doing.

Irina waited a couple of more seconds for a response, but when one never came she spoke again. "Well don't both answer at once." She told them sarcastically.

"The lesson was fine." Jack finally responded, glancing over at Michael who was still refusing to look at him.

Irina studied her face and then shook her head. "Yeah I don't believe you. You're lying." Jack was amazed at how she possibly knew that just by looking at his face. He remained quiet while she turned to Vaughn. "Michael?"

For the first time since they'd been there, Vaughn managed to make eye contact with her. "It was fine." He croaked, his voice getting caught in his throat.

"Have you both taken some kind of lying pill today?" She turned to Jack. "You don't look at me when you answer me, and you," her attention turned to Vaughn. "You're voice gives you away." Jack and Vaughn looked at each other, and for the first time it was as though they weren't enemies. But that quickly changed. "If you two are going to lie to me, you might as well _try_ and do it right. Now what went on?"

Silence once again filled the room. "Did you pick on him? Make a show of him infront of the rest of the class? Take every opportunity to belittle him?"

Vaughn couldn't believe that Irina was talking to Jack Bristow like this while he was in the same room.

"You're silence speaks more than your words ever could!" Irina moved to stand in-between Jack and Vaughn, her full focus now on her ex-husband. "I told you to go easy on him. You were not to treat him any differently, and you were certainly not to have any hostility towards him." Jack started to feel like a child who had been caught doing something that he shouldn't. Usually he would have gave as good as he got, but since they had started dating again, he found himself holding back; not always standing up to her like he did when they were separated. He just stood silently and listened to what she had to say.

Vaughn felt his cheeks redden as they talked about him as though he were not there. He kept glancing at the door, wondering he if he could ever escape without them noticing, but he knew in the back of his mind that he'd only take two steps before they'd see him.

She glared at him before turning around to Michael, her facial expressions softening slightly. "Michael, I'm sorry about last week. We didn't exactly handle the situation the right way…"

He opened his mouth to speak but she had already turned her attention back to Jack. "I want you to swallow your pride and apologize."

Jack could see in her eyes that she wasn't going to back down until he did. "Sorry." He mumbled, his eyes glued to the floor.

"At least say it like you mean it." She whispered loud enough for only Jack to hear.

He sighed and said it again, only this time with a little more feeling. "I'm sorry." Vaughn nodded, not knowing if he should say something or not, but before he could Irina dismissed him.

He quickly walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. He leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes, his heartbeat finally beginning to return to normal. He had imagined that encounter going a lot worse, but for now he was happy that it was over.

"Michael." Sydney came running over to him, concern all over her face. "Weiss told me that you were talking to my mom and dad?" She led him away from the classroom so that they could talk without her parents seeing them. They walked down the corridor, Sydney slipping her arm through his.

"Yeah she came in once the class ended."

Sydney tightened the grip on his arm, and rested her head against his shoulder as they walked. "And what happened?"

"She made your dad apologize for picking on me in the lesson." Sydney eyes grew as she heard what he was saying. She knew that her mother had told Jack to be nice to Michael, but she wasn't exactly surprised that he hadn't listened to her.

"Aww, I'm sorry." She stopped walking and stood infront of him, her hands cupping his face. She smiled as she reached up and kissed him. Vaughn deepened the kiss, his arms tightening around her. He suddenly realized that he didn't care what Jack Bristow said or did to him; being with Sydney made all of that worth it.


End file.
